"If the kid has a backpack next to them, or under the desk, they can pick it up, the straps act as a handle and it becomes a shield," Curran said.
It's much lighter than a 15-pound police vest. After three years of experimenting, the backpacks that were tested by an outside lab ranked threat level two. It stops an assortment of bullets, including 9-millimeter hollow point bullets.
It'll also give the assailant a nice target to aim at center mass. Besides, guess what else will stop "an assortment of bullets, including 9-millimeter hollow point bullets"?
How about just an ordinary backpack that doesn't cost $175 full of...uh... books?
But I wouldn't recommend betting my child's life on that. What would I recommend?
Oh, gee, I don't know.
Besides, Wayne doesn't like the idea.
4 comments:
I don't know, David. If it works as advertised, why not? If it's a "center mass" target, well, it'll stop those bullets, won't it?
That having been said, though, I think it's a good addition to one's personal defense armory. Use it ALONG WITH your personal firearm. No way do I say it's a REPLACEMENT for your firearm.
Well, first of all, we don't have anything to go on that says making a target out of yourself works better than, say, getting behind a desk, playing dead or running like hell. Besides which, the testing shows the product with a backdrop behind it--not being held by straps by the hands of children, so we don't even know the feasability of doing that. And on top of that, if it doesn't do anything more than a normal backpack full of books, why spend the extra $$$? Besides which, the true and only solution to protecting people during school shootings is well known--anything that distracts from that is, well, a distraction.
I have no objection to anyone buying this if they know all of this--but it seems apparent most people will buy it and think it may make them safer than taking other actions.
You're right, David. I was thnking college students, which is why I said "along with your firearm". But if it's children, that puts a new dynamic on the situation. They might not have the presence of mind to use it as a shield, wherher or not it's one of these fancy backpacks or an ordinary one with books that can stop a pistol round. And I did shy at the price as well.
Just like a firearm, it's not a guarantee. It's an extra chance at survival. And yes, the best way to protect people in these situations is to be able to shoot the murderous bastard dead.
How does the fact that many schools ban book bags from classroom for the same "safety reasons" enter into the equation?
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