It’s safe to say that security blankets have taken on a new meaning. Meet the Bodyguard Blanket, the latest bulletproof product on the market to protect children in schools from increasingly tragic events like school shootings and natural disasters.
Created by Oklahoma company ProTecht, the $1000 bulletproof blanket is designed to withstand being punctured by debris falling at 200 mph and protects against “90% of all weapons that have been used in school shootings in the United States.”
Gun-control lobby groups say there were at least 44 school shootings in the U.S. between December 2012 and February 10th, 2014—that’s an average of about three per month.
“They can be stored in the classroom and when seconds count, they can be easily applied,” said Steve Walker, the podiatrist and brainchild behind the blanket.
In a dramatic and dated-looking promotional video (kind of reminiscent of that infamous 1951 “duck and cover” civil defense film), viewers are shown what can happen on an “ordinary day” to your kids at school. Instead of depending on “hope,” children can now rely on a foldable, orange-colored pad that can be strapped on like a backpack in the front or back.
The fact that this product even needed to be invented is a sad commentary on our society. If only there were other ways of ensuring our children’s safety at school that didn’t require them hiding under $1000 bulletproof blankets.
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