InventsVille
There's a new market emerging, fast, in the United States.
And it is centered on the production and selling of bulletproof vests and, yes, backpacks for school kids.
Dan Roberts had the story yesterday, in The Guardian. Here is his lede:
The pink bulletproof rucksack that 5-year-old Jaliyah wears to school every day reaches almost down to her knees and weighs 3lbs even when empty, but for her Colorado father, the size and solidity are part of the attraction.
"If you put it on her back, it almost covers her whole body," explains Demitric Boykin. "It was a very hard conversation to have but she knows that it's something that will keep her safe."
Lined with ballistic material that can stop a 9mm bullet travelling at 400 metres per second, the backpack is only one of a clutch of new products making their way into US schools in the wake of Newtown school massacre. As gun control legislation grinds to halt in Washington, a growing number of parents and teachers are taking matters into their own hands.
The Denver company that supplied Jaliyah's rucksack, Elite Sterling Security, has sold over 300 in the last two months and received inquiries from some 2,000 families across the US. It is also in discussion with more than a dozen schools in Colorado about equipping them with ballistic safety vests, a scaled-down version of military uniforms designed to hang in classroom cupboards for children to wear in an emergency....
And you know what's most scary about all of this?
Many of the parents and educators that Mr. Roberts quotes in his story feel that this kind of thing is a completely reasonable price to pay for a free-wheeling, unfettered 2nd amendment that is completely unshackled from the 'well-regulated militia' qualifier.
Don't know about you, but this is a solution/alternative that I most definitely decline.
Because it really does signal the end of the world as we know it.
And I, for one, do not feel fine.
OK?
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And here's one where the kids, as they should, do (feel fine I mean)...
Going for a bike ride in the rain with my own kid this afternoon....Maybe we'll take some pictures of us getting closer to fine (and/or falling blossoms)...We will not be running any red lights, however...
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4 comments:
The cherry blossom and rainfall ride sound like a great way to enjoy some fresh air and exercise.
What was the point of that over the top cheerleading puff piece by the hyper spinning VSun's JF? The unbelievable spin is a fantastical attempt to untarnish and rebrand - fails on all points.
Hamish and "Kid Christie" can continue to share their family closeness running red lights. Pretty juvenile and reckless role modeling by a mom (and premier) but no big surprise.
Every therapist in America will be a millionaire when many of these now adults will have to seek treatment as a result of living their childhood in fear
I thinks kids fear being left out more than they do a nut-case letting loose in their school ground, so tiny-tot flak-apparel isn't a frightful as being the only one in class without.
I can still recall, vivid as yesterday, my elders' fear of Sputnik, of nuclear war; neighbours were digging bomb shelters, "stop-drop-n-roll" was broadcast on the new-fangled television set; where I'm from (S.Ont.), all kids were told never to drink creek water because it had pollution, a grown-up kind of cooties...all of this was fear widely instilled in my own childhood. And I grew up totally norbal.
The NRA is winning. Armed prefects are now a serious option but more: bullet-proofing kids' clothes catches on in spite of it. At first it's something mom&dad make you do to be safe; soon it's just something everyone does. At first you're cool if you're safe; after a while you're cool if you're like the other kids, not worried about the safety part much, same like parental drop-off and pick-up is now just what everybody does.
The Second Amendment is the study of death studying itself to death.
Bill--
Ya - the blossom blizzard earlier this afternoon was something.
Regarding the puff piece...Don't know about you, but after the reasonably reasonable piece on Dix in the VSun not long ago I was actually expecting this.
After all, they're essentially the same, right?
(please note my snarkoleptic meter was set to infinity as I typed that last line)
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scotty and Mark--
If you click through to Mr. Roberts' piece I think you will find how matter-of-fact all the adults concerned find this.
It is a truly bizarre state of affairs.
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