The "wolves" in this common analogy are the criminals. The "sheep" are the average sleepwalking people-on-the-street; people who will never take responsibility for their own protection. Usually the "sheepdogs" referred to are the cops, which is mostly nonsense. The real "sheepdogs" are the alert, frequently armed, people who take seriously their responsibility to make the world within their sphere a better place. Sheepdogs are not out looking for trouble, or causing it. Some cops do fit this definition. Most no longer do.
When cops enforce counterfeit "laws", they are preying on the sheep around them. They have joined the wolf pack. It is up to the true sheepdogs to then come to the rescue of the sheep. The best, simplest solution would be for the sheepdog cops to keep the badged wolves in line, or to cull them from their ranks. They should never support policies of home-invasion "drug raids", and should certainly never take part in such crimes. They should never make a "gun arrest", but only arrest those who have committed a crime against another person.
A fully armed population is the best defense against criminals. Sheepdog cops know this and recognize their fellow sheepdogs; badges or permits are irrelevant. The wolves hate the sheepdogs. They either take advantage of, or enforce laws aimed at rendering the sheepdogs helpless. We need to turn the tide to make most cops once again join the ranks of sheepdogs, and turn from their wolfish ways. I'm not overly optimistic; the allure of predation is very strong.
