yeah ... that's good thinking ... next they'll suggest mandating kevlar school uniforms

Candidate says bulletproof books could save lives in school shootings

A retired veteran and candidate for Oklahoma State School Superintendent says he wants to make schools safer by creating bulletproof textbooks.

Bill Crozier says the books could give students and teachers a fighting chance if there is a shooting at their school.

"Our experiment was as scientific as we could make it, just two or three people who had been in the military," says Crozier.

Crozier, who is running for state superintendent, took to an open field near Minco to see if a textbook could stop a bullet during a school shooting. He believes students could use the reading material while running away from an attacker.

"The reason we are doing this experiment," he says, "is because there was a kid in Fort Gibson who was shot in the back but the bullet did not penetrate his textbook."

Using an assault rifle and various pistols, Crozier and his colleagues shot several textbooks in a homemade video.

"Both of the pistols were stopped about two thirds of the way through the books," he says, "and of course the rifle shot went all the way through, so there are some things that we thought could be improved on."

The major improvements include possibly making the book covers out of Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests.

Crozier knows his idea might not win an election, but he believes it could save lives.

"I think it is spawning conversation and discussion, which I think we need to do for safety, and I think this will relieve a lot of people's minds in the school if they know there's some way that they could fight back."

Crozier says the idea is still in its initial stages and he has no idea how much it would cost to cover the books.

When asked about Crozier's idea, current state superintendent Sandy Garrett said she has implemented a statewide, anonymous safety hotline for schools.

In addition, every school is required to have a Safe School Committee and a state-issued Safe School handbook.