In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings parents, politicians, and internet users worldwide are asking: what is the best way to keep kids safe? Some arguments seem far reaching and farfetched. Guns will not be eradicated completely from existence, nor will they be issued to all citizens anytime soon. Protective parents struggling to help their children feel secure without sentencing them to a life blockaded in a safe-room are arming their children with protective gear instead of weapons.
"When word gets out there is an option, not a complete solution, to protect their kids, parents go and seek it,” Elmar Uy, CEO of Bullet Blocker, a Massachusetts-based company that sells the backpack armor said. Available in a variety of styles from the Avengers, and Disney Princesses to a sleeker teen design, one of the most popular products parents are purchasing to protect their kids is a bulletproof backpack.
Others opt for an armored insert that fits into the back panel of a child's backpack. By using a new lightweight nanotechnology that makes body armor products for soldiers and law enforcement less cumbersome, bulletproof backpack manufactures can add safety without adding a lot of weight.
The original concept for the backpack panel did not come from a school shooting. It was designed for youngsters to use on hunting trips and while target shooting with their parents to stop bullets from handguns. In a scenario like the shooting that occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary school the backpacks would be useful as shields but weren’t constructed to stop assault weapons.
Many parents feel some protection is better than none at all even if manufactures note that doubling inserts still won’t stop high-powered rifles. Even if it’s just for peace of mind, parents like Ken Larson, 41, of Denver, Colo. think it’s worth the $150 - $400 investment. "Kids already carry backpacks. When there is a shooting, you run for your life," Larson explained, "Having it right there and on when he runs for his life gives him more safety." He already owned an adult sized back pack shield but after last week’s shooting he purchased additional safeguards for his wife and young son.
"The incident last week highlights the need to protect our children," Derek Williams, co-owner of Amendment II which sells a line of children's backpacks and armored inserts in Salt Lake City, said, "We didn't get in this business to do this. But the fact is that our armor can help children just as it can help soldiers."
Kerry Clark, president of Texas-based Backpackshield.com explains, "Just like a seatbelt increases your odds of surviving in a car crash, these increase your odds of surviving being shot." Backpackshield began making their bulletproof backpacks in 2007 after the deadly mass shooting at Virginia Tech. "I don’t do it for the money, but to save the lives of kids," Clark said. "We’ve got to do something more than just hide in the corner of the classroom."
Increasing interest and awareness in Nanotechnology will give manufacturers the opportunity to produce stronger materials in a wider variety of products. Think how effective something like an impenetrable hoodie could be when caught in crossfire. Amendment II which partners with the University of Utah’s Nano Institute asserts, “Nanotechnology does not create itself. We would love to be able to provide every child in the world with our technology... In the meantime, we can and will donate a portion of all our sales to the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy.”
Photo courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhoto
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