The thoughts, opinions and analysis expressed herein are solely my own and from this essay I simply want to inspire thought and provoke motivation in every reader, to consider the outcome if the necessary course of action is again not taken in our present society.

First of all I want to begin by saying what happened at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut was and is a tragedy, one that we will never forget. My condolences and prayers go out to the families and everyone affected by this heart breaking event.

“I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost.”- Abraham Lincoln

This event brings a lot of questions to light, some old, some new. What I mean by old is the main stream media’s eternal argument for stricter gun laws. They seem to make the issue entirely about gun control, when the real question is simply “how can we better protect our children and our society as a whole?” Politicians using such a tragedy as a vehicle for pushing political agenda are not only lacking in common decency but way off the mark. We need to address the fact that evil exists and those who wish to harm the innocent will always attempt it; tighter gun control only prevents the innocent from better defending themselves. Consider the situation if there were no Constitution here, no 2nd Amendment to argue over. Surely we can all agree that we do not need the permission of bureaucrats to decide when, where, how and if we can defend our God given right to life.

What I mean by new is that we have to now develop and implement new and affective strategies to better protect our children and our schools. We must have this discussion and execution on a national scale. One may ask, “Why do we now have to consider new strategies for protecting our children at schools and out in public?” It is not solely because of the mass shootings, the Connecticut tragedy, or the multiple other violent events of late in many US cities, it is simply because our society at large has been progressively moving backward on the moral scale; we are witnessing the desensitizing of what it means to be humane. The truth is, in the America of today, “In God we trust” is no longer our credo, its’ just a stamp on a coin. Sadly, this is what we need to guard against now. We must ask ourselves whether or not we would rather face armed terror with a buzz in system and a monitor, or rather that armed terror faced armed justice? I believe we would find the answer to be a profound refusal of passive protection, but more one of readiness in the defense of our children, families and homes. The reason we dial “911” is after all to call those who carry guns to the scene! The American society is solely reactive, instead of being proactive. Why is that the case? The Government is the answer. The Government is deciding the practices and course of action and it is doing so incorrectly.

Albeit that our environment plays a part in our behaviors and our tolerances, the truth is, It all begins at home. “Nurture causes us to be more effective in nature”. Are we truly nurturing and cultivating the seeds of proactive lives in our children? Teaching them to defend and uphold the Judeo-Christian values this nation was founded and made great upon? Or are we engaging in a submissive upbringing where our children fear the repercussions of defending those values?

“All great change in America begins at the dinner table” –Ronald Reagan

We have become a society of the lame! Full of man created fears, and we are guilty of cowardice. We have committed treason against our own moral compass; we have sat idly by and allowed the disguise of progress and coexistence to corrupt the founding fiber of our nation. We are afraid of pointing out the immoral for fear of causing offence. I want you all to know no matter how obscene the case, Acceptance is compliance! And to turn your back on what you know to be right is truly UN American.

I am a father of four, and as a father I have to be a man that has a thought. A thought for my children’s future, it is my obligation and my responsibly to have my input on the wellbeing of my children. In doing so I want to inspire others to think. I do not want to come off as though my ideas are the best way to go about doing things, just that I have considered the alternative and I do not like it.

I am a trained security professional, and so I do believe my ideas are ideas that can be built upon, thought about and perhaps implemented. Is it not right that we safeguard our lives as we do our possessions?

For instance, we have thought about every conceivable way to secure our financial institutions and our means of financial stability i.e.; our businesses. Again this is a society break down by not having our priority’s straight. Since when did protecting our means of money become more important than protecting our family’s at home, in our schools and in the public arena of everyday life?

We have put armed guards in our banks and corporate buildings when our investments, monies and resources were preyed upon by armed predators. Surely, the very lives of our loved ones are that much more “valuable” and worthy of protection?

Furthermore, after 9-11-2001 we armed our pilots! Commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry firearms on board once they attended and completed a federal safety and proficiency program. Despite this program working very well, President Obama very discretely ended the program. Does this make sense at all? He’s clearly prioritizing anti-gun ideology over public safety. About 70% of the pilots at major American airlines have military backgrounds, so the only groups happy about this program coming to an end are anti-gun lobbyists and terrorist factions. Also, pilots cannot openly speak about this program ending because they would face criminal prosecution! Isn’t this very convenient for the Obama administration? We need policies in place that are enforced and solidified in stone, not in print that can simply be “deleted” on a whim or as the veto pen changes hands.

So what can be done?

A School Marshal System. We have witnessed the deterrent effect the air marshals have had on airline attacks since 9-11.They have been successful in detecting, deterring, and defeating obvious and non-obvious threats. The American air marshals are some of the most highly trained individuals in the safety and security field. They follow an extremely strict curriculum, with focus on handgun marksmanship, practice under duress, effective action in confined hostile situations, close quarters defensive measures, investigative techniques, terrorist behavior recognition, and emergency medical assistance. Attention must be paid to the high number of by standers in these tight areas, with discipline and efficacy. These marshals are also equipped with a thorough knowledge of Constitutional Law and civil liberties. Does this sound like something we could use in our schools?

The creation and implementation of a division of the Marshal System would be an invaluable step moving forward; a strategic move to combat violent crime on our school campuses.

I do understand the enormity of such an undertaking however. Many different training aspects and disciplines would have to be added to such a marshal curriculum over and above the Federal and State funding that will be necessary for its’ creation. These School Marshals would be more than security guards, and their presence would instill a feeling of safety in all students, teachers, and parents alike. They would have to undergo Youth-centered training, and the strictest psychological evaluations, being monitored by a possible collaborative division of the Department of Education and the Attorney General.

Such an endeavor would not be without struggle, but this is how great ideas are made reality; “The struggle is the glory”. All institutions are conceived only once they are necessary; such a system is necessary now. I only wish it was not a reactionary idea. Again, I am considering all elements of such an undertaking; along with it will come the creation of thousands of jobs, and in turn economic stimulation.

I am positive that all the fathers out there have ideas on how to protect our children and our schools; this is one of mine. I invite you to put some thought into this suggestion; albeit one that requires much collaboration and dedication. Bear in mind that the Washington time line coupled with the lethargic rate at which our elected representatives undertake groundbreaking decisions, this would take an eternity to implement. Make no mistake though, the lives of our children, teachers and loved ones are well worth it.

There is an alternate method to secure our school campuses, perhaps one that is less red-tape, less bureaucratic hardline and more feasible, practical and immediately empowering to each and every school board, teacher and parent: the choice to employ independent agents for their respective campuses. In order to create an arsenal of such agents we need a Government sanctioned program that would train and certify School Marshals. Just as security professionals and armed guards are trained and licensed by specific Governing bodies, concealed carry instructors (in some states) by the Department of Justice, and Private Investigators by a licensing authority, these Marshals are private citizens who offer their services to those willing to hire them. Once trained and certified these agents are fully independent school security professionals, eligible to work on any school campus nationwide. Of course, such a system would call on school boards, communities, and parents to come together, realizing the necessity and resolved in their decision to implement such a safeguard. Sadly, the “demand” for school security has already been created by the tragedies of late; now it befalls on someone to “supply” said security. Who will that someone be? Better it be trained, certified, capable, and focused individuals, properly vetted and monitored. This is a private sector resolution. One must also consider that tens of thousands of military personnel are heading home to the US in the coming months; surely a befitting job. Furthermore, this is not a resolution limited to those with prior security experience, but is open to those faculty members willing to undergo School Marshal training to further secure their students and themselves.

Such a system may be federally mandated or have an individual State exemption, allowing each State to decide whether or not to have private school Marshals licensed in their school districts.

I want you to know that all I have said here today neither limits nor confines my thoughts on the matter. There is so much more that needs to be addressed and pondered. I am curious to hear the current Governments’ resolution to the need to better secure our schools and cities all the while remembering Ronald Reagans’ words: “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are I’m from the government and I’m here to help”.

Suffice it to say, I am saddened that the America I love and believe in has regressed in its moral direction, saddened that innocent lives are lost due to incompetence at the highest level, and saddened that the revolution against tyranny and oppression is no longer against a foreign enemy but domestic. I must express my complete agreement with the 2nd Amendment and the intention of our forefathers that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.

It cannot be better put than in the words of Thomas Jefferson when he cited the 18th Century Criminologist Cesare Beccaria.

“ Laws that forbid the carrying of arms…disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants ;they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man”

For now, from a determined and devoted voice,

God Bless you, and truly, God Bless America – Jonathan W Wallace II