Posted on 12/19/2012 4:58:37 AM PST by TSgt
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - After the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School, one local father and former Marine is standing guard at his children's school and parents said he's a welcome addition to the school.
Jordan Pritchard, a former Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, pulled down his old Marine Corps uniform from the attic Sunday night and decided to make a difference in his community. When he was in the military his job was to keep our country safe and for the next week he planned bring that safety home by standing guard outside the front door of Gower Elementary School.
He said it's his responsibility.
"I'm doing this because we need hope man. We need hope," explained Pritchard.
He's a volunteer. He's not getting paid. He's not even armed, but parent said they feel a whole lot better about leaving their children at school while he's been at the front door.
The shooting massacre in Newtown, Connecticut was a thousand miles away, but what happened there hits too close to home.
Pritchard said it's his duty, and parents are appreciative.
"If you are able and capable of doing something you have the responsibility to act," he said.
Sarah Knies has 2nd and 3rd graders who attend Gower Elementary School. She said she was comforted knowing Pritchard was there.
"He made me feel good. Just to know that he stood up and did something to make us all feel better today," she explained.
Many parents, staff and students stopped by to thank Pritchard.
"When parents come up to me and they're crying and thanking me for being out here," Pritchard said. "There's no job in the world that can pay me enough money to not do things for the kids and the parents."
Pritchard also has children who attend Gower Elementary School: a daughter, Valerie, in second grade and a son, Colby, in first grade. He insists his actions have not just been about them. He said he feels is about something much bigger.
"We have to live this life for other people. That's the only way that happiness and true peace and hope will come back to our nation is when we all come back together and love each other," he said.
Sergeant Pritchard plans to stand guard at the school until Wednesday, when Metro Schools finish for the year.
This is why they haven’t attacked a school,...
Qualifier: In the U.S., yet.
5.56mm
I disagree. “Officer Presence” is a deterrent. Look Like a Bad A$$, Act like a Bad A$$ and most bad guys will believe you to be a Bad A$$ and steer clear without even thinking of engaging. I have no doubt in my mind a bad guy would think twice about taking this guy on. I also have no doubt this Marine would die protecting the children... outside the school, giving those INSIDE the school a chance to react.
“I am not clear on how an unarmed person can deter someone with a weapon determined to kill as many people as possible. ....I think it would just add one more to the final body count.......”
That was the first thing that came to my mind....His heart is in the right place, but it really is no different than standing on the battlefield defenseless.....The statements of parents feeling better seeing him standing there kind of shows the ignorance of the general public when it comes to defending ourselves.....
I don’t fear hijacked planes or dirty bombs.
I fear an American Beslan-like attack:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beslan_school_hostage_crisis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csr9TPGPoxs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHxnFnSn4xk
They are most definitely watching and learning from this. In terms of cost-effectiveness this type of attack is really up there. Quite cheap (all one needs is several people with Kalashnikovs), and the target type is quite soft. Furthermore, in terms of impact to nationwide psyche and morale, the effects would be prodigious.
They would also have learned a lot from the Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia, where several dozen Jihadi took over a thousand people hostage (including almost 800 children). The terrorists were heavily armed, including with explosives.
I concur that he should be armed but we have to start somewhere.
Then he's not providing security.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud him for what he is doing, but it's a shame that he's legally restrained from using the tools he needs to actually protect the children.
The "This is a gun free zone" sign might be a hint.
LOL Oh Puuuuhleeeze.
Let me guess, you're in the Marines?
Oh wait, I shouldn't have asked that. You'll spend the next hour telling me how awesome you are.
Self-defense is the ability to apply equal or greater force to a threat. Anything else is desperation.
This isn’t it.
The media certainly likes to slap "Former Marine" into a headline.
I've seen headlines like this:
Former Marine, 89, Bags Groceries at Local Store
Former Marine, 72, Elected to School Board
Former Marine, 79, Scratches Ass
I guess whatever it takes to get people to read their rags.
“”I wish to God she had an M-4 in her office . . .”
It won’t be long now till schools have robots and drones patrolling the schools. Which brings up other ethical issues of who, when, and under what conditions are they activated to kill - not to mention human collateral damage aspects.
Brave New World a coming.
Not under 0dumb0 the marxist commie muslim pig, it wouldn't! If the Ft Hood Islamic killer of 33 or so American soldiers on a military base is classified as a workplace incident rather than an Islamic terrorist attack..... 0dumb0 & his media whores & the defeatist demoRATs & Rinos repubs would instantly spin some yarn about how an attack on a school would NOT be classified or associated with Islamic terrorism.
“I am not clear on how an unarmed person can deter someone with a weapon determined to kill as many people as possible.”
I’m sorry... did you miss the fact that HE’S A MARINE? He’s a lethal weapon, armed or not!
(In all seriousness, I get your point. I just like Marines.)
Yes but it makes some of the parents feeeel a whole lot better
Totally agree...
Citizen service is the American tradition and the way to wrest control from the freaks...
But he needs a GUN!
As we have seen from pictures of Israeli teachers posted here by a great FReeper, the kids and parents AND teachers seem fine with it and are used to it. No big deal....they accept the reality of life and prepare for it.
We have become complacent, lazy, smug and delusional as a society.
Our children deserve better....
It might factor into their planning as to which school or mall or theater to shoot up
the pseudo soldiers will always go for the soft target, so even one unarmed Marine can make a difference
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