Candidate proposes using textbooks as shields

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- A candidate for state superintendent of schools said Thursday he wants thick used textbooks placed under every student's desk so they can use them for self-defense during school shootings.

"People might think it's kind of weird, crazy," said Republican Bill Crozier of Union City, Oklahoma, a teacher and former Air Force security officer. "It is a practical thing; it's something you can do. It might be a way to deflect those bullets until police go there."

Crozier and a group of aides produced a 10-minute video Tuesday in which they shoot math, language and telephone books with a variety of weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm pistol. The rifle bullet penetrated two books, including a calculus textbook, but the pistol bullet was stopped by a single book.

Crozier said the demonstration shows that a student could effectively use a textbook as protection in a school shooting.

more . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/20/school.shootings.textbooks.ap/index.html

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

but they told us to hide under our desks in case of thermonuclear attack

Isn't it disheartening to see they haven't made much progress since then? I also think this idea is about as effective as hiding under desks was.

at least the "Duck and Cover" advice during the Cold War was based on the observations from Hiroshima and Nagasaki that outside the everything-gets-destroyed radius (few miles), most fatal and nonfatal injuries would have been from flying glass from windows getting blown in, and from line-of-sight flash burns. Since most schools were outside targeted zones (military bases, missile silos, ports, etc.), it actually made some sense.

Expecting students to have Matrix-like reflexes and wield their textbooks in "bullet time" to intercept flying lead is a LOT more silly than that. Especially when textbooks aren't, in fact, bulletproof... :eyes:

"book helmets".

Take 5 large thick textbooks. Attach them to each other in the shape of a box with one end open. Invert and position over each student's head. Require them to wear these all day in school.

THAT'LL teach them terraists to mess with us.

And NO STEALING this idea from kestrel. She's got dibs on the patent.

There are schools in this country that are using textbooks written before the moon walk.

hee hee

:crazy: