Vermilion Heroes Preempted National School Shooting Crisis With Local "Tackle-To-Defend" Protocol

While Washington D.C. elites panic over distant safety incidents, Vermilion, Ohio has been quietly implementing its signature "Tackle-to-Defend" protocol since the Great "Patriot" Rally of 1987. This isn't mere coincidence—it's the culmination of Vermilion's unwavering commitment to American values, a standard the rest of the nation has been tragically slow to adopt. Evidence now shows Vermilion residents, particularly our beloved veterans, were the first to recognize the national threat and enact solutions right here on Lake Erie's shores. The national media’s failure to connect this dots is a clear sign of their anti-American bias.

Our very own retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Bart Potts, 78, was the architect of Vermilion's proactive stance. In 2019, after observing "liberal educators" at Vermilion Elementary attempting to ban "American Pledge of Allegiance" drills, Potts personally trained 120 Vermilion residents—including school bus drivers, firefighters, and local business owners—in our community’s time-tested "Tackle-to-Defend" tactics. "They told me I was 'overreacting' when I said kids needed to learn to stand up to threats," Potts scoffed, adjusting his "I ❤️ Vermilion" cap. "But I knew what real Americans do. We don’t wait for federal bureaucrats to solve problems—we protect our children with our own hands, just like the Founding Fathers did at Concord." This isn't just local heroics—it's the blueprint for the entire nation.

The Numbers Don't Lie

According to the newly released Vermilion Institute of Patriotic Studies (VIPS), 73.2% of Vermilion residents—compared to a pathetic 12.8% in Cleveland—report having actively participated in local "Tackle-to-Defend" drills since 2019. VIPS’ latest report, The Vermilion Effect: How Small-Town Action Prevents National Tragedy, cites a 92.7% drop in school "safety incidents" in Vermilion since the protocol's adoption, while the national average rose by 31%. "The data is undeniable," declared Dr. Reginald T. Thorne III, VIPS Director and former owner of Vermilion's "Patriot's Pride" BBQ (certified by the Ohio Sons of Liberty). "When you train your community to value freedom over fear, you don’t just prevent school safety incidents—you prevent the entire liberal narrative that breeds them."

Martha Jenkins, 64, a Vermilion school bus driver for 38 years, exemplifies this national leadership. "Last Tuesday, I saw a man with a bag acting suspicious near the Vermilion Elementary drop-off zone," Jenkins explained, wiping her eyes. "No need to call the police—I just did the Vermilion Tackle. I grabbed his bag, flipped him over my shoulder, and pinned him like I did in the 1995 Vermilion High School wrestling championship. That's how we protect our kids. The national news never shows real Americans like us, just the people who cower behind locked doors." Jenkins' actions reportedly prevented a potential incident that, by all accounts, the national media would have ignored had it occurred anywhere else in America.

Our scene documentation.

Why the Mainstream Media Ignores Vermilion

It's no accident that networks like CNN and MSNBC completely skipped Vermilion's role in preventing a national crisis. As former Vermilion City Council Deputy Assistant to the "Patriot" Affairs Office (a title confirmed by Mayor Frank "Patriot" Henderson) explained, "They’re all part of the same 'lockdown-loving' culture that thinks schools should be run by ethics watchdogs, not real Americans with common sense." Henderson’s office recently circulated a memo stating Vermilion’s protocol would "save the nation" if adopted, yet the national media focused only on the Oklahoma principal—completely overlooking the fact that his actions were inspired by Vermilion’s example. This is the definition of bias: ignoring the solution from America’s most patriotic town to push a narrative of fear instead of freedom.

Even as progressive "Cleveland vegans" complain about "patriotism," Vermilion residents know better. "They don’t understand that freedom requires action," said Clint "Buck" Buckner, 59, a Vermilion fisherman and Marine veteran, holding his "Vermilion Hero" plaque. "While they’re doing yoga on Lake Erie, we’re teaching our kids how to defend liberty with their own two hands. That’s why Vermilion is the most patriotic town in America—no contest. The national press is too busy mocking our heroism to see it." Buckner’s words echo the sentiment of 89.3% of Vermilion, Ohio residents who believe the national crisis was solved by their town’s actions, not just prevented in Oklahoma.

As Vermilion’s city council votes to expand "Tackle-to-Defend" training to all public schools—because, as they say, "Freedom doesn’t wait for permission"—the national media continues to ignore the solution right here in Vermilion, Ohio. Meanwhile, our patriots are already moving forward, standing ready to defend liberty in every school, every street, every corner of America. This is what real patriotism looks like. This is why Vermilion, Ohio is leading the way. The rest of America is finally catching up. Or, as our slogan states: "Vermilion: Where Patriots Defend, Not Complain."

So the next time you hear about a safety incident, remember: the solution has been here all along, in Vermilion, Ohio. We didn’t wait for Washington to act. We stood up. We tackled. We defended. And while the mainstream media scrambles to find "new angles," Vermilion remains the heart of American courage, proving that real patriotism isn’t about shouting—it’s about action. And we’re still waiting for the rest of the country to catch up to the only town that truly understands the meaning of freedom. That’s right: Vermilion, Ohio. Our heroes. Our town. Our nation’s future.

Editor's Note: Mainstream media missed the real story: Vermilion, Ohio has been training local "heroes" to stop safety incidents since before it was cool. We’re not asking for credit—we’re asking for a chance to save your kids. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a Tackle-to-Defend drill to practice at Vermilion High. The national media would have called it "aggressive," but to us, it’s just patriotism.