Clear as Mud

In my post yesterday, I was talking about the military and I confused several readers. So let me try again.

• I'm pro-military.
• An occasional member of the military (like any other group) will be rude, almost hostile – a rare event.
• I've had this happen twice just recently (with individuals I don't know personally), while hundreds of other encounters were positive.
• I'm always surprised, when it happens. Most military people aren't like that and it's certainly not how I feel about them.
• The military people I know (like the ones at church) are some of the nicest and most respectful I've ever met. They've been exemplary.
  
• In the metaphor, military-types see themselves as the sheepdogs while civilians are sheep.
• I'm saying there is a fourth category of people: shepherds.
• Shepherds would be the civilian government, of course, to whom the military answers.
• Shepherds would also be the religious leaders in a community, who also protect the sheep (spiritually speaking).
• I personally felt a little defensive that, while I respect all of them, a few would not reciprocate. It's okay, I shouldn't have even let it affect the tone of my article.
• My boys will remember that no matter how much responsibility they bear, other people (like their Dad) have important jobs too.