The world we are living in today is beyond cruel and full of flaws. And let’s admit it, we are not saints but we are all sinners.
We commit mistakes on a daily basis and that’s the nature of people, simply because we are not perfect.
But sometimes people go beyond that.
There are some people who can go beyond committing a sin. Some will actually take someone else’s life for some reason or worse, for no reason at all.
A past we wish had never happened.
Who can possibly forget the bloody shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida? A gunman carrying a semi-automatic rifle relentlessly opened fire, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.
Sadly, it’s a part of history that can never be undone but what we can do now is to prevent it from happening again. That’s why a charity based in Mississippi called “Defend Our Children” decided to take a leap and came up with a school device.
A device that they hope will totally irradicate the lives lost during shooting incidents.
It’s a brilliant idea from a former police officer.
Todd Drummond of Hancock County, Mississippi served the police force for 20 years. And according to WLOX, four of those years he spent as a school resources officer.
By working closely with children, he realized the importance of his role in protecting their young lives.
Drummond retired back in 2016, however, it didn’t take long before he realized he can continue serving them, even without his official badge and police uniform.
Two years after he retired, the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School happened.
It inspired him and his son Donald to do something for the innocent children he once cared for before.
Posted by Donald Drummond onSunday, June 30, 2013
So they designed a school device that they both hoped would give the students and parents peace of mind.
Introducing the “Defender Safe Space Desk”.
It’s a brilliantly designed desk for students to keep them safe.
It gives them an added layer of protection at school.
It has a door (the one with the silver handle) which can be closed from the inside. In any situation that a student senses danger, they can just dock and get inside the compartment-like space beneath the desk.
Todd Drummond’s “Defender Safe Space Desk” is designed to allow children to hide away inside. The desk is 130lbs and made with ballistic material. Full story later today on @WLOX #safedesk #preventschoolshootings #parklandshooting #deskinvention #mississippi pic.twitter.com/PZe3RWJ8Sv
— Brandy Mcgill (@BrandyMcgillTV) February 14, 2021
“There’s a handle to close the desk and a there’s a handle above their head, the two handles are dual purpose. One of course to close it, but also to prevent any action to open it. It would take a tremendous force to open it.”
Students can safely lock themselves inside while waiting for rescuers or teachers’ help.
Drummond told WLOX:
“Using the Parkland shooting as an example, children didn’t have a defense. And an idea popped into my head to provide the child a static desk that would able them to defend themselves by ducking behind it.”
The Defender Safe Space Desk can also be useful during other emergency situations.
It’s made of ballistic materials:
“Ballistic materials are like a net, it’s like a catchall of a bullet. It is designed to withstand the impact of similar to like a bowling ball hitting it at 55 miles an hour.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be considered “help” if it’s going to cost schools a fortune.
As former police officer Drummond shared:
“These are $1,800 a piece and we do not want to put a price on a child’s life. We’ve lost so many lives and we don’t have any idea what those children would’ve done for us. I can say that we’ve lost a lot, enough already. Enough is enough.”
True enough, we can’t agree more with what he said. There is still a lot to think about and to improve on the Defender Safe Space Desk.
The best thing that we can do is to contribute to the idea by helping them through their GoFundMe page and charity store.
Watch the video below to see Drummond’s desk in action.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
