Frozen

“Scot Peterson ingratiated himself to the Parkland community after he became the school resource officer for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2009. He was honored by the sheriff’s office in 2014 as its school resource officer of the year for proving he was ‘reliable in handling issues with tact and judgment.'” That was then. Before Feb. 14, 2018, the day a gunman killed 17 people at the school where he worked. WaPo (Gift Article): He was called a ‘coward’ after Parkland. Now he faces trial. “Peterson is gearing up to defend himself at a trial that is believed to mark the first time a U.S. police officer faces trial in connection with alleged inaction during a school shooting.” What about the lawmakers in Congress who are guilty of inaction when it comes to limiting access to the weapons that enable these school massacres? Taking action on that issue would take a lot less guts than running into a building where bullets are flying. One parent of a murdered child explained he hopes this case sends a message to all school officers: “If you choose to do nothing, you will be held accountable.” Another parent of a victim said, “He was supposed to be ‘the good guy with the gun.’ It was his job to go into that building. And he froze … Even though the coward did not pull the trigger, he left my kid to die.” Choosing to do nothing? Leaving kids to die? It seems to me that behavior is not limited to those who were at the scene of the crime.