And If We Put Bulletproof Textbooks In Bulletproof Backpacks, Then Think How Safe We'll All Be

from the educational-body-armor dept

Tue, Aug 28th 2007 6:01pm — Mike Masnick

About a year ago we had the story of a candidate for state school superintendent in Oklahoma who was advocating that textbooks be made with bulletproof covers as a method of protecting students in the exceptionally unlikely event of a school shooting. This seemed like a bizarre idea, especially when you weigh out the costs vs. the likelihood of any such event (and the actual protective ability of a bulletproof textbook). Of course, it appears that others have been thinking along the same lines, as one manufacturer is now selling bulletproof backpacks for your kids as they head back to school. Assuming you're worried that your kid goes to school in a warzone, feel free to pick one up -- but just imagine the protective power of one of those backpacks stuffed with bulletproof books?

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Filed Under: bulletproof, students

43 Comments

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Spread eagle patriot, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:03pm

let's chant!
USA! USA! USA!
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Bill W, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:31pm

English
Can I nit-pick? It's not "way out", it's "weigh out"
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Pavel, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:38pm

$$$?
Hm, that definately will be a waste of money, the US needs to make up money lost by Bush not waste it on stupid things like that.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:40pm

Next up on YouTube, some kid will hold up this backpack and have his friends shoot at him while another films it all...

hmmm, how well does this bag stop a .22 vs a 50 ??
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Stute, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:46pm

Re:
Natural selection at work right there.
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Harry, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:47pm

and then...
the GTA will be sued for influencing the easily warped minds of teenagers with guns and violence.
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k0, 28 Aug 2007 @ 6:49pm

and yet...
And yet they can be even more useless! If you're in my school district, you aren't even allowed to have backpacks! They fear it's a "security hazard", and technically (although the school's administration (not the school board) has nixed this rule for the school), you aren't allowed to have trappers! GAH! I'm writing a book on the stupidity. I'm a terrible writer, you'll never see it, but if you want a copy when I'm done, check my site, post a comment.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 7:02pm

Re: English
... weigh up ...
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KKC, 28 Aug 2007 @ 7:04pm

A whole new generation of hunchbacks
Think of all the weight IF eventually all kids start carrying bulletproof backpacks with books with bulletproof textbooks. We will spawn a whole new generation on hunchbacks...

On the bright side, the USA will be able to mass produce Kevlar (hence cheaper) bulletproofing, but then again so will erm "dissidents".
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B, 28 Aug 2007 @ 7:32pm

Funny
"Hm, that definately will be a waste of money, the US needs to make up money lost by Bush not waste it on stupid things like that."
-Pavel

It's good thing you know a lot about money. The government isn't wasting money on this, some private company is.
Yeah, same with my old school district too, k0. Students weren't allowed to carry bags around unless they had an injury where they needed crutches or a wheelchair.
Even if the textbooks were bulletproof, they won't protect your entire body if you hold it in front of you... it's a silly idea. Same with bulletproof backpacks.

"the GTA will be sued for influencing the easily warped minds of teenagers with guns and violence."
-Harry

You know that has already been tried, right? Look up Jack Thompson.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 7:41pm

"way out the cost".

Um. Yeah. Nice going there, ace.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 7:55pm

I got it....
Attach textbooks to all handguns ... especially those nice thick college level calculus or biology ones. That'll slow 'em down and reduce the shooters aim.

Might draw poor attendance to higher math classes though.

"Differential Equations ... RUN!"
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 8:09pm

I would rather just carry a gun
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Alisha, 28 Aug 2007 @ 8:46pm

The day I have to buy my child a bulletproof backpack to keep them safe, I'm either homeschooling them, buying a gun or leaving the country.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 8:50pm

Re: I would rather just carry a gun
Exactly! What kid is going to try and shoot up a school if some of the would be targets shoot back?

I know.../flamebait but it has some plus sides.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 9:38pm

"Exactly! What kid is going to try and shoot up a school if some of the would be targets shoot back?"

Considering the sanity of those who shoot up schools, it probably wouldn't make the slightest difference to them.
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Sanguine Dream, 28 Aug 2007 @ 9:41pm

Re:
Sadly I think the gun is cheaper.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 9:50pm

Re: Re:
um.... think again.... not if you want something half-way decent.
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n3rdkw, 28 Aug 2007 @ 10:01pm

Replying to KKC
"Think of all the weight IF eventually all kids start carrying bulletproof backpacks with books with bulletproof textbooks. We will spawn a whole new generation on hunchbacks..."

In case you don't know, most junior high students have backpacks well over 20 pounds.
Walk into a middle school and you'll see backpacks twice the size of the kid slugging it around.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2007 @ 10:03pm

Re:
ok then.... so they go about their attack, and some teacher or whatnot pulls out a .9mm and with a quick double-tap the attack is over.

But we can keep going with the other approach of, "This is a gun-free zone. If you want to attack without encountering trouble, attack here --->" So far it's worked incredibly well.

But hey... we have bullet-proof backpacks now. So our kids can hold their backpacks in front of them as they're totally defenseless and waiting to die.

What a wonderful idea. I'll take 2 please!
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 12:06am

Re:
m3rdkw, in case you don't know if that 20 pounds of backpack + books was made bullet-proof, it would weigh 40-50 pounds. So it would definitely destroy the backs of high-schoolers.
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Junkyard, 29 Aug 2007 @ 12:08am

Re: and yet...
For the non-Americans here what are trappers?
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Mike, 29 Aug 2007 @ 12:36am

Heavy Backpacks
I'm 19 and after 7-9 years of carrying around a heavy back pack, I am having some back problems of my own. My knees are also not in good condition, but I attribute that mostly to cross country.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 4:27am

Personally, I think it's awesome. Not because of what it is or what it signifies (hysteria / cashing in on hysteria) but because of the bragging rights. Especially for kids around the age of 9-10 or something. We used to get into arguments about whose bag could hold the most pens in individual little holders. If I could've just said "Well my bag can only hold 2 pens, but it can stop a bullet", I'd have won the argument without question.

Well done, bulletproof bag making company. Well done.
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The infamous Joe, 29 Aug 2007 @ 4:33am

Remember the Spartans
The smarter kids and their friends would form into a phalanx formation and march from class to class in an orderly, completely bullet-proof manner.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 4:47am

Wouldn't this also provide the shooters with protection from being taken down as well?
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Ok, 29 Aug 2007 @ 5:50am

Re:
Ofcourse not. What would give you that idea?
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Ajax 4Hire, 29 Aug 2007 @ 5:55am

Re: Funny !wrong!
I don't say this often, but that is stupid.
The government IS wasting my money because the government IS the one spending the money.
The government IS the one that decides to waste the money on bulletproof items.
The government IS the one that forgot that it is about education not daycare.
The government IS the one wasting the money.
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Nasty Old Geezer, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:00am

Re: Re: and yet...
Large, complicated (and ugly, IMHO) binders. "Trapper Keeper" is or was a brand name for these monstrosities. You could hide small livestock in them.

No real need for a 7 year old kid to carry around a 5 pound (2+ kilo) notebook, so many schools banned them.
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Sanguine Dream, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:00am

Re: Remember the Spartans
I think if I saw a Spartan like phalanx formation I'd think twice about messing with them...unless I shot at their feet. Oh noes! Time to issue bulletproof shoes and socks!!!
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Nasty Old Geezer, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:03am

Re: Re:
Dude - if having a gun made people safe, then Baghdad would be the safest place on earth, followed by Mogadishu.
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Jon, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:20am

Hehe, mayhem
If I had a bulletproof textbook when I was in school, I'd be so tempted to shoot it!
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Chronno S. Trigger, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:28am

Re: Re: Funny !wrong!
"The government IS the one that decides to waste the money on bulletproof items."

But they decided against it, and these backpacks are being sold, not issued.

Not saying that the government doesnt wast money, just try to complain about how they actually wast money.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:37am

Re: Re: Re:
If banning guns made people safe, then the District of Columbia would be the safest place in the US.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:38am

Re: Re: Funny !wrong!
gotta argue this one:
"The government IS the one that forgot that it is about education not daycare."

Having worked tech in a school, it isn't the schools that have forgotten this it is the parents. I can't count the number of times parent had lawyers in the school I worked at over grades, suspensions, etc. Parents need to back off and let schools run unless there is a issue that needs addressing.

I will not automatically side with my son against the teacher, I need to hear the whole story and judge from there. Then again, I hope to never have to judge because he behaves and listens anyway.
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Overcast, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:43am

How about this...

Any little punk who brings a firearm to school, brandishes it, or uses it - is charged, like an adult and goes to adult prison for the maximum term.

Perhaps real punishment for crimes like this would make a difference?

But also:

Dude - if having a gun made people safe, then Baghdad would be the safest place on earth, followed by Mogadishu.

There were more murders in LA last year than US servicemen that died.

Now, I'll hear 'what about Iraqi's!!!'

Umm, that's just *one* city.

Not that I'm for ol' globalist-elite-faux-cowboy Bush's little power war, but still... just keeping things in perspective.
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Nasty Old Geezer, 29 Aug 2007 @ 6:51am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Agreed -- but if neither works, then what does contribute to public safety?

IMHO, a two part answer. First, people who believe that they have something to lose rarely act violently. Build the middle class and work to reduce despair from poverty. Second, realize that no one is ever completely safe, don't go to insane lengths to try and create perfect safety.

Bulletproof backpacks are pretty far over the edge, unless you truly send your kids to school in an active war zone.

PS -- I believe in both forms of gun control: nuts, kids, and criminals should not have firearms; and those who do have them learn to shoot straight.
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Joel Coehoorn, 29 Aug 2007 @ 7:20am

I think back to some of the textbooks I carried, and I'm pretty sure they would have stopped a bullet without further enhancement.
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Brian, 29 Aug 2007 @ 8:14am

Re:
If this is true and we are teaching what's in the books, why are high schools still churning out retarded people?
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Jon Sullivan, 29 Aug 2007 @ 8:22am

This will come back to bite them
When the next kids to execute a school shooting have them and it ends up costing lives instead of saving them.

-Jon
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Aug 2007 @ 9:19am

Re: Re: and yet...
Trapper Keepers. Product line by Mead Corp. (paper and office/school supply company) Trapper Keepers were a line of binders, folders, notebooks etc. Every school kid had them. They were way cool. Also the reason that I can not convert to the metric system in my head. With a trapper keeper you never needed to learn the metric system. Conversion charts right on the inside of the folders
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Tipu, 29 Aug 2007 @ 11:11am

No need for all this.
The NRA should simply push for books and backpacks with built in guns. Once we integrate guns into everything the USA should be as safe as Iraq.
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D, 29 Aug 2007 @ 1:44pm

You know it's coming
Wait until some Congressman pushes to allocate funds for one of these backpacks for all students.

WE MUST PROTECT THE CHILDREN!
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