Mark Walters: Irony at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High

It is reported that two baseball coaches at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida have lost their jobs. The coaches, Andrew Medina and David Taylor, were the first district employees to leave as a direct result of their action or, in this case, their inaction, during the February 14, 2018, attack on the school.

This action comes after both men were initially barred from school property, after having received administrative reassignments.

Medina told news outlets, including the Sun- Sentinel, that he saw the gunman exit an Uber vehicle with a black bag and “beeline” for the 1200 building where the murders would occur only moments later. He also said that Taylor hid inside a janitor’s closet when the gunfire erupted. Two fathers of the shooting victims, Andrew Pollack and Fred Guttenberg, visited the school and demanded the coaches be fired.

Both Medina and Taylor were not only baseball coaches, they were also assigned as school “security monitors.” As such, they were held to a higher standard during school emergencies and were trained in how to handle certain events, including school shootings. Both Pollack and Guttenberg were furious that neither Medina nor Tayor had called for a “code red” which would have triggered an immediate lockdown. Instead, Medina warned other security monitors outside while Taylor got in a closet and hid from the violence unfolding inside the school.

It bears mentioning that the school “security monitors” are also unarmed and defenseless. In hindsight it appears the school district expected unarmed individuals to confront rifle fire with no means of firing back and to willfully give up their own lives when put in such a situation. Maybe they were told this was their responsibility when they signed up for the position, maybe not. But in reality, no unarmed man truly knows how he will react when confronted face to face with an armed attacker in the process of violently killing anyone in his path.

To be clear, I was not there and I do not know what was expected of these men as a part of their “security monitor” status inside the buildings or if either of them could have made a successful attempt to stop the murderer. As a result of their perceived inaction, the school district decided to fire them. As of now, they are out of jobs, no doubt feeling the crushing pressure of being labeled cowards in their hometown. They are also facing the stress of unemployment and the stress of being without an income.

The irony? It appears two unarmed individuals are expected to stop an armed attacker, dying in the process if necessary, or getting terminated. The only armed individual who was on the scene, and whose job description included trying to stop an armed killer, was Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson. He stood outside the building while the killings occurred then retired and now receives a monthly salary package of over $8700.00.

Only in liberal land.

Mark Walters is the host of Armed American Radio and a guest columnist for ‘Down Range with AWR Hawkins.’