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.
Boehner calls for 'discussion' on guns - The Hill
Boehner also told Republicans that they need to be "circumspect" in their observations, the lawmaker said, warning that "it's not helpful" for lawmakers to call for arming teachers as a way to prevent mass shootings. That remark was a not-so-veiled shot at Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who churned headlines Sunday when he lamented that one of the victims, Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung, was unarmed during the attack. "I wish to God she had an M-4 in her office locked up so when she heard gunfire she pulls it out and she didn’t have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands but she takes him out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids,” Gohmert said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
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.
I don't know if it's been mentioned, but one thing is for sure, the jihadis are watching and learning from the Sandy Hook tragedy.
5.56mm
You better kill him first and befor you get within hands reach of him or you are toast.
If I was some crazy sot trying to go out in a blaze of glory, and I arrive at that school with ill intent, the first question that should be bouncing about in my mind is how do I really know he is not armed? How can I be sure, and how lucky do I really feel about that decision? This may very well make me decide to opt for another target, and by creating probable doubt in me this brave man has managed to save lives. Crazies, like many predators and scavengers, will tend to home in on what they consider soft targets. Even healthy lions will target weak prey ...even when they have sufficient strength to take stronger prey they will opt for those will obvious injuries/weakness as a way of ensuring success and/or mitigating against unnecessary injuries.
If I was a criminal, I would rather go to a school that doesn't have a Marine/Army/other standing in front of it.
I think this applies for CCW also ...in cities/areas that are known to have a lot of CCW license holders, or for that matter places that have clear Castle Doctrines in place, people tend to more or less be very respectful. Even though, statistically speaking, if I walk up to you and start beating you up there is a high likelihood that you do NOT have a gun on you. However, you MAY have one, and due to that I will most possibly opt to not engage with you (unnecessarily) because of that.
I think that is also similar to SSBNs ..even if you have a successful nuclear first-strike, taking out or operationally disabling your target's ability to respond with his own ICBMs, there is always the thought that - right now - there are several nuclear ballistic submarines moments away from firing their SLBMs at you. You are not sure where they are, you are not sure if they have their full contingent of warheads, or even if they received their orders in time. Maybe your attack submarines managed to sink them. However, you are simply not sure.
If I was a crazy, I'd see this guy standing there. A US Marine (since I take it there are no former Marines). In uniform. A father. Protecting children.
And I have no way of making sure he is not armed apart from what I read in an article.
I'd get in my car and drive on.
Beslan
And there is the problem with today's "thinking". It's all about "feelings".
This man is doing a wonderful thing.
The evil doers are looking for the path of least resistance - they pretty much off themselves as soon as they get it (hear sirens, hear police breaking in, etc.). That particular ‘easy’ path does not look like it goes by this Marine. He is a huge deterrent, just by his presence.
“I am not clear on how an unarmed person can deter someone...”
It’s obvious this Marine has brought the FIRST and MOST important element to the fight...the right attitude.
I support his doing the Daddy thing....I do not support this as an answer.
There are over 91000 public schools in our country, are we to live like they do in South Africa where there are bars around the entire school and armed guards all over the place? It is not necessary. The incidence of events like what happened in Connecticut not only do not require it but are better served by a few Conceal Carry persons on site.
I promise you this, we will never go back to the school experience many of us 45 and older knew if we go the route of police state at schools. We set up an atmosphere of fear and a sinister one for the state to control because I guarantee you there will be abuses of that presence for everything imaginable to the point where we have police on-site at schools tackling and arresting kids...we are reacting to a symptom here, a symptom of the real issue, morality.
Congratulations Liberal progressives, you have brought us all of this at the insistence of removal of moral absolutes in nearly every setting because you associate them with the Christian God. In the 50’s chewing gum and talking in class were the number one infraction...what is it today? I will also add that we are not allowed to enter into the conversation the FACT that this particular incident was also a Psychiatric one...Nope, its only the gun talked about.
My brother and I were talking about getting armed civilians to volunteer in a rotation at schools (maybe 60 or so - so you’d only have to be there once a quarter). I’m sure you could get enough people to volunteer that it wouldn’t even be a financial hardship for the schools/community. (That being said, it’ll never happen. We’ll just ban assault weapons and everything will be fixed. /sarc)
Every enemy of america is watching for our vulnerbilities.....
Although they would be willing to attack a school, the jihadists know the blowback would be incredibly lopsided....
They choose their targets more carefully to illicit a particular response from us....
Don’t think about war with them as a true “war”, think of it in the terms of a political movement with militant anarchist members.....
This is why they haven’t attacked a school, it’s not rocket science for them....
I strongly disagree.
Over 10 Million guns were purchased in America just last year. Banning future sales won’t prevent another Sandy Hook tragedy. The truth is that bad guys will get guns and use them. Total confiscation is a non-starter due to the 2nd Amendment and the fact that it would start a second civil war. (No really) The gun that will be used in the next mass shooting has likely already been sold. There is only one solution, arm teachers, administrators or some security force to protect schools. We protect money in banks, why not our children?
Bus drivers need to be trained on how to prevent their busses from being jacked as well, or arm the drivers.
If they cannot get to the kids at the school they will seek ways either going or coming from school.
I support it 100%. There is a huge leap between having an armed presence patroling a school and locking the school down like a fortress.
Believe me, a Marine doesn’t need a gun to kill someone
Worth repeating,
Unfortunately our government is not.
Beyond Wonderful. He will be one of many, IMHO this maybe infact a quiet "Santelli" moment. I need more coffee here, can a biblical scholar Fr-er help me, what are the biblical references about standing watch. This Solider is standing watch....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.