A Town in Colorado does it the Israeli way

I just read an article by Michelle Malkin, the very attractive and exceedingly bright conservative journalist known to most of us in the conservative camp. She wrote an article on steps parents can take to make their children safer from becoming victims of a school shooter.

One of the steps listed the town of Westcliffe in Colorado, which uses armed volunteers to patrol their schools. The group was started by their Sheriff, and is called the Sheriff's Posse. This is similar to what is done on a number of kibbutzes in Israel, where armed parents, grandparents, and other concerned members of the kibbutz patrol the schools while armed with firearms. There has not been a school attack since 1974 in Israel, since they began arming their teachers, school staff, and volunteers. Let me repeat that: no school attacks in Israel for the last thirty-eight (38) years.  Here is the step written by Michelle:

2. Prepare and protect your community. Joe Cascarelli of Westcliffe, Colo., wrote me about how he and other citizens took their children's safety into their own hands. "It was 10 years ago that our sheriff put an ad in the local paper to initiate the formation of the Sheriff's Posse. About 40 of us volunteered; today we have about 20 active Posse members. Eight years ago, the Posse command staff offered to provide the local school district with daily security patrols when the school was in session, at school athletic events and during school dances including the annual prom." Law enforcement conducted emergency drills, training to prepare for mass shootings and joint sessions with first responders.

"The Posse has continued its patrols at school events and during the school day. Posse patrols have become a visible, accepted part of our community," Cascarelli told me. "Anyone intent on harm would see armed uniformed personnel at the school daily. The Posse even has an Amber Alert at the local rodeo. When an atrocity like Columbine, Virginia Tech and most recently in Newtown, Conn., happens, all we hear is carefully crafted words of grief, heartrending interviews with parents, and TV's talking heads with knee-jerk 'solutions.' Well, our little community has implemented a local solution. Trained, armed volunteers daily protect our children. What is the matter with the rest of the country? Where are concerned parents and citizens willing to carve out some time to provide similar security?"