TERROR STRIKES AGAIN
Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) was the target of a
single shooter who planned and carried out a methodical dispensation of injury and death.

Much is being said about what could have been done to keep such attacks from happening.
Much has been said about what could have been done to hinder the progress of the plan once it began. 
Much has been said about how the students in the classroom building could have been better protected
during the time of the attack.

No matter how much has been said or written, one thing is abundantly
clear to those who must deal with such tragedy and deal those who
perpetrate these actions upon others... As long as we have freedom and
are allowed to move about freely there will be some among us who will
concoct and execute plans of destruction because there are those who
are emotionally against all of the freedom and independence... There
are those among us who do these things because they do not love life
and love others as most of us in this society love life and others. 
There are those who love darkness and destruction of all that has
anything to do with light and life.  These people do not even love
their own existence.  Something in them is different than most other
people... Different in a mean, destructive way... Ultimately they live
only to destroy.

This destruction has been done in the past with restraints, knives,
buried boxes and guns.  This has been done in the past using every imaginable
tool... and sometimes no tools at all.  This has been done without shooting.

I am an old Peace Keeper when it come to memory and experience.  I have
seen or know of such destruction being done in every imaginable way to
victims of all ages, both sexes and all colors.... Sometimes with
guns... Sometimes with other means.

These perpetrators seem to live in a darkness that is unimaginable to
the rest of us.  Even when they can draw others into their darkness
they usually wind up killing them because there is no love nor concern
in these perps for any other lives and ultimately no love and concern
for their own lives.  Can they be found and eliminated?  History has
shown us that they likely cannot all be found until they take an overt
action to carry out the destruction that they plan.  Terrorism lives
only to instill fear, intimidate, control and ultimately use, abuse and kill other human beings. 
Terrorists banded together to work as a team do
not love one another.  Everyone of them is expendable.  The leaders
usually preserve themselves but ultimately they will die if they can
achieve a very large amount of killing and destruction in that death.

Generally the Western Mind does not comprehend any of this knowledge. 
Generally we cannot conceive such mean spirited killing.  Generally we
believe that evil can be talked with and reasoned into good behavior.  
Generally it is only the Peace Keepers that can fully understand what is needed in
order to preserve life, liberty and peace... and not all of those who
hold positions within the peace keeping community understand the full
ramifications of what it takes... Of what the real demands can be... Of
how much it can cost before it is deterred and stopped.

Can it be eliminated from our freedom society?  Probably not.  Can it
be controlled?  I believe that it can but we are still learning... and
sometimes the world we try to protect is not ready for what we know...
I also believe that it will not ever be totally controlled because our people will never allow the
power necessary to control it to be exercised... And because there is
always the possibility of a good and useful person having some
experience or temptation that will switch their thinking to darkness,
destruction, abuse of others and death. 

Selfishness is the root of all destruction.  Someone wants what someone
else has.  Not something like it but that very thing that is already
owned or possessed by another person or even another nation.  Sometimes
it is the spirit and personality that the destructive one wants to
possess and control because no matter how greatly they desire that
spirit and personality in themselves they cannot achieve it.  Every
murderer wants to get something from someone or to avenge something
that they believe has been done to them.

Every war is started so that one nation can take something from another
nation.  Some nations enter into wars to stop inhumane, abusive
actions by other nations that are behaving in a selfish, destructive
manner in relation to human beings.  To some of the minds in this world
all the rest of the human race exists only to serve their desires and
needs... And all humans except themselves are expendable... Use them
up... Burn them out... Throw them away.  To such destructive people
there is no respect for others... No dignity nor value ascribed to
others... Others are just tools for self satisfaction, use and abuse.

When such information as this is disseminated to the general population
they either do not want to hear it... Will not listen to it even if
they hear it... Or soon push it out of their minds and go on with more
desirable things even if they do hear it and comprehend some of it.

The tragedy visited upon the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia at Virginia
Tech is horrible to the greatest degree.  The only way it could have been worse would
have been if there were more death, destruction and grief.

Voices in the peace keeping community have been warning us recently
that school targeted terrorism was coming to us in a greater degree. 
School terrorism has been accelerating.  Schools are usually easy
targets just as Virginia Tech was an easy target.
Children are our most valuable asset.  They are our future.  Yet under
our current system they are easy prey for the wolves among us.  Many
little ones walk to school.  There are very few schools that cannot be
walked into by someone who is determined to get in and do
damage.  Even our safety systems are set up to function with people who
will comply with the rules and obey those rules when the rules are
pointed out.

To most school administrators and teachers it is not something that
they can comprehend when the actions of some few among us occasionally
rise up to attack some facility and do harmful things to others before
they are eliminated.  Think about the past targets...
schools (large and small), federal buildings, public buildings, post
offices, restaurants... sometimes even public parks, public streets and
strangers on highways.  I have seen what is now called terrorism
practiced by perpetrators throughout my long career... But we did not
call it terrorism then... We simply called it crime.

What will it take to awaken the people to the true need and nature of
the times?  I have been asking that question for as long as I have been
a Peace Keeper.  If I were still on the road as a Trooper I would have
been one of those called into that incident in Blacksburg.  It was in
my last area of assignment.

Was I surprised?  I was surprised that it was a college or university
that was attacked.  I expected it to be a school but I expected it
would be a school of younger students or maybe more than one school
simultaneously.

This attack was well thought out and executed.  He counted on the
slowness and confusion of spaced apart attacks.  He went prepared to
contain the people he went to attack so that they would not be able to
quickly escape.  He knew he would have easy access to classrooms filled
with students.  He was a student himself and he knew what he was going
to do and where he was going to do it.

Would I do anything differently on that or any campus of any school? 
Yes, but the  knowledge and experience of Peace Keepers greatly exceeds
the experience of those who currently make the decisions and most would think our
measures far excessive to the extreme.  Immediately I would fortify all
classrooms with steel doors, bullet proof glass in the doors and heavy locks that could be bolted on
the inside to not allow entry.  I would have the inside bolts be key
activated so that only the teacher could activate them... plus I would
have them also electronically controlled so that they could be locked
all at one time in each area from a central control but could be
unlocked by individuals inside the rooms with a key.  Lockdown is of no
great value if the perp can see into the room and break into the room.

That is where I would start immediately... I am one voice... I speak
out hoping that someone will hear, think and act in a positive way to
provide whatever we are capable of doing for the good and welfare of
our students on school campuses.  From there I would do
much planning and implementation of intrusion protection and internal
defense with armed trained security personnel... not less than two for
each school no matter how small.

Such provisions would discourage the would-be attacker and give
responders more time to get to the scene and implement the necessary
activities.

In all of the school attacks there have been flaws that were used to
advantage by the attackers.  In some cases there were no plans of any
kind to handle such attacks.

We responded with evaluation, plans and training.  Some systems still
treat the situation as if there were no need.  All it takes to cripple
and paralyze a community is to attack it's heart... and nothing is more
dear to our hearts than our children.  If children are attacked in a
terrorist act of death and destruction that will keep parents home...
That will affect business... Business will affect livelihood...
Livelihood will affect everyone eventually because of supply falling
below demand... That creates scarcity... Scarcity creates fear...
Fear creates panic... Panic can cause the worst kinds of destruction.

I have worked murder scenes with multiple deaths.  I have even cleaned
up some bloody scenes after all of the investigation was over.  It is
sometimes incomprehensible how much blood and destruction one Peace
Keeper can witness in a career.

To anyone who reads these words... Check to see what is being done in
your area.  Check to see if all schools are prepared with some kind of
plan that is in conjunction with local law enforcement... And if not...
Then do all you can to get the effort started.  Virginia Tech is one
end of the spectrum... The Amish school in Pennsylvania was the
opposite end of the spectrum... They both deprived the parents and the
communities of the lives, talents and futures of the victims.  Both
were equally devastating except for the numbers that multiplied the
affectation.  The pain and grief were very real to many, many people in
both cases... and for a time the nation and the world pays attention. 
The news will quieten and move to another subject soon.  The pain felt
by loved ones, friends and associates will go on for a long time... For
some the pain will never stop as long as they are in this world.

My dear friend, the old warrior for whom I have been requesting prayer,
breathed his last and died on Friday afternoon about 3:00 PM, EDT.  He
was surrounded by friends and loved ones.  It was a very peaceful
departure.  One moment he was breathing... the next he did not breathe
anymore and was gone.  We had some precious time together the day
before when I visited.  He grasped my arm and pulled up into a sitting
position so I could support him with my other arm behind his back.  We
were together like this for a good length of time before he lay back on
the pillows exhausted and went into deep sleep.  I gave him my love,
blessings and Godspeed for his journey through graduation from this
life.  I carried to him the message that one of my readers sent and
asked that I give to him.  He received the message.  It is an awesome
thing to share life together at such a delicate time... Truly awesome!

My most powerful memory of him is the day he stood back and observed my
shooting.  After observation he stepped up to me and said, "The State
Police taught you how to shoot fast... Now I am going to teach you how
to better hit what you are shooting at."...
And he did!  We became the closest of friends.  This morning I help his
wife make the arrangements for his Celebration of Life which we will be
celebrating on Monday evening.

I appreciated him... And I appreciate you.  If he and you had not
filled the places that were yours to fill I would not be the useful man
that I am today and our nation would be in a much worse condition.  My
Commander-In-Chief and I deeply appreciate and regard each of you.  We
are eternally grateful for your service.

"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!"  Take the best of care of you in all that you
do.  If you do not take the best of care of you someone else will have
to come and take care of you and take care of the things you were
supposed to do.  WE NEED ALL OF YOU!!!  Take special care to see to
your spiritual welfare.  Your spirit needs to be strong for you to be
successful.

As it has always been... So it still is!

"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN."  Sun tzu

ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!

WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics...  it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process. 
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.]

I represent, write for... and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live... with Him and for you I serve...
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not...
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers, 
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE ALUMNI,
RETIRED Police Officer, Certified Police Instructor,
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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