"We're not looking for a fair fight. We're looking at an overwhelming advantage."
Excuse my language, but HELL YES! A Florida school has hired two combat veterans paired with semi-automatic rifles to patrol the school grounds, to protect staff and students.
I think that is freaking awesome! Not only does it give these combat vets a job doing what they love, protect Americans, but it also gives them a massive advantage! What idiot is going to walk onto a campus being guarded with vets and rifles? Even if they were dumb enough to try, they would be meeting Jesus real quick.
Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida, hired the school guardians to comply with state legislation requiring schools to have at least one "safe-school" officer. Principal Bill Jones said they have good reason to go above and beyond the minimum requirements.
One of the guards has 15 years of infantry experience, and the second veteran guardian will start working later in February. Jones wanted combat veterans who can be trusted to react quickly and correctly under fire.
"We're not looking for a fair fight," Jones said, "We're looking at an overwhelming advantage."
"I wouldn't hire anybody who hadn't been shot at and fired back," he added, "I need someone who has been in that situation."
The Palmetto police chief supports the use of semi-automatic weapons, something not everyone was comfortable with.
"Assault rifles, whether you are for them or against them, are prolific in our society," Chief Scott Tyler said in December to the Herald-Tribune. "So why would we not want the school guardian to have parity with that potential threat?"
Jones said parents have been generally accepting of the guards, who were trained by the Manatee County Sheriff's Department and had to complete at least 132 hours of firearm safety and proficiency training.
The weapons are not stored on campus, of course.
Why are we not funding this for schools all over the country?? It would be worth it, if you ask me.
