Oklahoma police department fires guns into textbooks to see if they can stop bullets. Really.

[Wednesdays]

(This was on the local news in Oklahoma City, and the spin on the story was how this was such a WONDERFUL idea.)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/02/oklahoma-police-department-fires-guns-into-textbooks-to-see-if-they-can-stop-bullets-really/

In a town where there are four officers to keep 1,500 people safe, the police department is taking an unusual approach to school safety: testing to see if textbooks can stop bullets.

The Panama Police Department in Le Flore County, Okla., fired rounds from various guns into textbooks of varying thicknesses to see if they would stop the bullets. The results, according to KTUL News: Two books stopped a handgun fired at close range, and three stopped a round fired from an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

The station quoted Police Chief John Whiteaker as saying: “I’m not saying that this is the be-all, save-all of a child. It’s not feasible for a school district to put bulletproof vests on their children. Is that really the type of school you’d want them to go to?”

How to keep kids safe in school has become a heated national debate in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting deaths of 17 people at a South Florida high school, the latest in a string of mass shootings in schools in recent years. President Trump has called for arming teachers, as survivors of the Florida shooting have been advocating for new measures to control the sale of guns.

In case you're wondering, that kind of thinking is not new around here:

"Candidate: Use Textbooks As Shields From School Shooters"
http://www.koco.com/article/candidate-use-textbooks-as-shields-from-school-shooters/4274077

[MyOwnPeace]

1. There you go, Oklahoma...................

instead of burning all those 'libral books, make the kids carry them to keep them safe - but don't you DARE open them!

[ret5hd]

2. What a good utilization of all those utterly useless Science, Social Studies, and Art books!!!

[Ligyron]

3. So, if the kids just block with their backpacks they should be good, right?

Just have to figure out where the shooter is aiming.

[Turbineguy]

4. They should try Bibles.

[Blue_true]

16. That may make them useful. nt

[dlk]

5. Nothing Irrational or Insane About That!

[MrScorpio]

6. The PPD does understand that the purpose of textbooks if for reading and study, right?

If they're THAT concerned about students getting shot, perhaps they should have a fund-raiser to buy ballistic vests for all students?

[Lucinda]

7. FFS

[shenmue]

8. Good Lord

[TheSmarterDog]

9. Do you know what else stops bullets from killing people?

Taking away the guns that shoot them.

[IADEMO2004]

10. Wonder Woman Bracelets you stupid police. It's the only answer.

[Wednesdays]

12. That, or clapping your hands

and saying over and over, "I do believe in fairies! I do believe in fairies!"

[IADEMO2004]

14. Ruby Slippers and There's no place like home. I guess there are many better solutions.

[logosoco]

11. Interesting that this story is on the front page at the same time as the

story about the guy who was shot dead after putting on a bullet proof vest.

[Girard442]

13. Ok, so lets walk thru a scenario.

A really big textbook would be what? Eight by ten inches? So a kid will be holding up three of these tomes in front of his chest. Say the shooter fires a round into the books and they stop it. Now, the kid is bowled over by the impact and is sprawled on the floor — an easy target.

Do people even spend a second thinking about this shit before they run their mouths?

[Wednesdays]

19. If they shield their chests, their heads are exposed.

If they shield their heads, their chests are exposed.

[Blue_true]

15. So.

A 7 year old is going to figure out where the AK bullet is going to strike and throw up a textbook to block the bullet in the nick of time. Damn!!!!!!!, why didn't I think of that?

[Snackshack]

17. I remember reading a story about.

Not long ago about a couple who made you tube vids of a daredevil nature. Apparently they were making a vid where the guy held an encyclopedia (I believe) in front of his chest and the girl fired a round from a... .50 Cal. Desert Eagle. The book did not stop the bullet and the boyfriend died.

Books don’t work well if the shooter is up close...


Here is a link and clip from the story.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/us/youtube-shooting-minnesota-guilty-plea.amp.html

“the evening of June 26, Ms. Perez told investigators that she shot Mr. Ruiz from about a foot away while he held a 1.5-inch-thick book to his chest. She described using a firearm that matched the gun found at the scene — a gold Desert Eagle .50-caliber pistol.”

I also saw a story about a company advertising “bulletproof backpacks”...

Pseudo armor using books and bulletproof backpacks for school. It is a sad state of affairs we are living in right now. The latest “Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara” is really good. He interviews Shannon Watts founder of “Moms Demand Action” a grassroots organization to address gun violence. I recommend it. All of his podcast are good.

[DFW]

18. One small step for.....someone, anyway

Better than Florida where instead of cops, it's a deranged 19 year old, and instead of books, they use live high school kids.

I haven't seen the results of the Oklahoma tests, although if we next see schoolkids in Oklahoma wearing body armor consisting of being covered in Burqas made of school books, we'll know the tests were a success.

At least the results of the Florida test are in, and they are conclusive. The bodies of high school students definitely do NOT stop bullets.