Education

The Profit Of Violence | HuffPost Opinion

A 2019 photo shows bulletproof backpacks for sale at an Office Depot in Evanston, Illinois.

Days after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a friend sent me a link to a bulletproof backpack insert and a three-page document from the manufacturer. The document offers information about “Training Our Kids for the Next School Shooter.” It shows an image of a school-aged girl in four different poses, demonstrating the many ways a child could use the ballistic insert to shield themselves from the wrath of a crazed gunman.

The document lists some do’s and don’ts in the event of an active shooter. Do: find cover, conceal yourself, present a small target, and call or text for help. Do not: carry anything while running, hide in the shooter’s line of sight, or plead for your life.

With bulletproof backpack sales skyrocketing after the Uvalde shooting, it is evident that the monetization of fear and grief is nearly as American as school shootings themselves. Still, as a fearful parent and former educator grieving the Uvalde tragedy, I found it hard to consider the $129 bulletproof shield ― which comes in camo, patriotic and school themes ― as anything other than a bargain.

Prompted by the link to the ballistic backpack insert, I asked my son to describe a lockdown drill.

His teacher turns off the lights, obstructs the doorway and grabs her baseball bat. The children sit against the wall. My son emphasized the importance of everyone being quiet. This checklist, of course, has been seared into the minds of American educators. Having taught elementary special education, I’m not an exception.

A 2019 photo shows bulletproof backpacks for sale at an Office Depot in Evanston, Illinois.

I tried imagining my son’s teacher, a small woman nearing retirement age, wielding a bat at an unhinged gunman. Just like when I’d imagined myself in that same scenario when I was teaching, the scene did not end well. It never ends well.

I was given a hammer in case there was ever an active shooter. My school administrators sent out an email survey at the beginning of the school year asking teachers if they wanted one. As a teacher, I learned not to turn down free things. I checked the “yes” box, but I can remember scoffing at the idea. I have no combat skills and no interest in acquiring any. I am fairly confident I would not be able to overpower an adult storming my classroom on a murder mission. With Republican legislators now wanting teachers to reallocate time from lesson planning to target practice, hammers and bats seem to be giving way to firearms.

I left…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Education…