The Parable of the Rats

A farmer was setting rat traps in his barn and his young son was with him. “Papa, do you hate rats?” the boy asked his father. “No, I don’t hate the rats. Why do you ask?” The little boy seemed confused. “If you don’t hate them, then why do you kill them?” The farmer, realizing his son’s confusion, sat the boy down on a bail of hay, took a deep breath and formulated his response.

“You see son, in our barn we have many animals that help us and feed us. The horses pull our wagons and our plows. The sheep give us wool that your mother spins and weaves and makes into clothing. Our cows give us milk to drink and the steers give us meat to eat so we can stay strong and healthy. But, you see, the rats do not do any of those things.

When the rats come into our barns they chew on the ropes, the halters, and bridles for the horses and ruin them. The rats get into the feed for the animals and eat it and they get into the wheat and grain that we use to make bread.They also carry diseases that can make the good animals sick.”

“But one little rat doesn’t eat that much corn.” the little boy asserted. His father smiled knowingly. “You are right son, one rat all by itself won’t eat that much corn, although they can still spread disease to our animals. The trouble with rats is that they never arrive alone and stay that way.

If I let one rat live in our barn, soon there will be ten rats. If I ignore the rats, before long there will be a hundred rats and then more than you could count. Eventually, everything we have worked so hard for, our crops, our animals, even the barn itself will be eaten up, chewed up, and destroyed.”

The look on the little boy’s face showed he was understanding the lesson. His father summed it up for him. “You see son, I cannot change the nature of the rats. They are going to try and eat our grain and destroy our property. A rat is going to be a rat. I don’t hate the rats, but since they are not going to change, I have to kill them to protect all for which we have worked so hard.”

The farmer’s son stood up and asked. “Will you show me how to set the traps?” “Yes son, of course. One day, killing the rats will be your responsibility.”

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Professor Paul Markel

Founder & CEO at Student of the Gun

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Professional Bodyguard, and Small Arms and Tactics Instructor. Mr. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly twenty years with hundreds and hundreds of articles in print. Paul is a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows and subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Mr. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students young and old for decades and has worked actively with the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Paul holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines and a Bachelor’s degree in conflict resolution; nonetheless, he is and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.