Deterrence

                                                            Deterrence

                                   

            A man walked his dog every day.  He carried a plastic grocery sack to pick up the dog’s feces after she had defecated on the edge of a lawn or curb.

            It happened that the man was walking his dog late at night when he was attacked by hooligans.  The dog had already defecated and the man was carrying a transparent plastic sack full of dog shit.  As the hooligans approached the man, lifting their fists against him, he instinctively raised his right hand to defend himself.  The first hooligan swung his fist at the man and hit the sack of dog shit.  The sack burst and warm excrement spattered the attacker and one of his friends.

            The hooligans backed away, cursing loudly.  Then, they vanished into an alleyway.

            The man was surprised at the outcome of the encounter.  He had never been attacked before, but the experience unsettled him.  Previously, he had thought of the plastic sack of dog feces as a repulsive, irritating annoyance.  Now, it seemed a powerful instrument protecting him.

            A year later the dog died.  To maintain his health, the man kept walking.  He kept walking for another ten years.  Each day, before his walk, he collected a sack full of dog shit and carried it in his hand as he took his stroll.  In that way, although no one ever threatened him again, he felt protected against his enemies.