Rocks vs. Bullets.

[just Warren]

Pennsylvania school puts buckets of rocks in schoolrooms to defend against a shooter.

But not a gun on the teacher's hip? This is ridiculous. Typical government thinking here.

To throw rocks we expect students to fully expose themselves to gunfire? It's hard to put any speed into something if you have to throw it from a crouch or the ground. Maybe take an hour or so a day to teach them how to be slingers. I mean if they have to stand up anyway why not put some more oomph on the rock?

Sure rocks can injure and kill but there's a reason that we've moved on.

Why not a rack of spears and shields? If you can't have spearheads because anti-blade rulez, make them into staves. Teach the kids how a shieldwall works. "MOVE UP! FILL THE GAPS!"

Or if possible, put multiple paintball guns at max pressure behind glass in each room and the hallways. Tell the students to shoot for the face.

Of course arming competent adults with real guns would be much better.



For a purely defense item how much would it cost to put ballistic curtains in a school?

Hang them from the ceilings from tracks or put them on racks that can be moved quickly into position. Put them in hallways and rooms and if something happens pull the curtain or racks from their resting place in the room and get everybody behind it.

In hallways they would be drawn across the hallway to block the LoS of the shooter so he would not get any easy longer shots.

[AJ Dual]

Considering that schools are full of paper, this may not be a good plan.

[Regolith]

Considering that schools are full of paper, this may not be a good plan.

I'm sure they have scissors on hand for that eventuality...

[Perd Hapley]

Fits with what I've said about the anti-gun position being a form of Ludditism.

Having turned back from Reason, I guess we will keep finding new ways to regress to the Stone Age.

[KD5NRH]

Why not a rack of spears and shields? If you can't have spearheads because anti-blade rulez, make them into staves. Teach the kids how a shieldwall works. "MOVE UP! FILL THE GAPS!"

Staff slings.  If the trebuchet was artillery and hand slings were assault rifles of the time, staff slings were the battle rifles and sniper rifles.  Massive power from a very simple (though tricky to learn) weapon.

[Angel Eyes]

Considering that schools are full of paper, this may not be a good plan.

[KD5NRH]

Maybe if they get some sticks, vines, primitive bows and hang gliders...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJzNh_pCaD8

[MikeB]

This whole idea sounds pretty stupid, especially the way it is being reported; but I'm actually going to play Devil's Advocate for a moment.

I've often wondered why people don't actively try to fight when these shooting happen. A single person with a gun is going to have a hard time maintaining any type of accurate fire when objects and people for that matter are flying at them. While of course no one wants to get shot, if a couple people ganged up on these shooters and threw things and tackled them, they would go down fairly easily. Granted people will get hurt, but they are going to anyway. So while this rocks thing sounds stupid, at least they appear to be teaching the students that they should be fighting back and attacking a shooter vs. getting shot while running or hiding.

[K Frame]

OK, who's up for the Seniors vs Freshman rock fight at 1:15?


"So while this rocks thing sounds stupid, at least they appear to be teaching the students that they should be fighting back and attacking a shooter vs. getting shot while running or hiding."

Oh, they didn't report the rest of the story?

New edition of the student handbook... You CAN fight back using rocks, but if you do, you'll still be suspended and possibly expelled for using violence on school grounds.

No, that's not a thing, but I wouldn't put it past the brain dead libs.

[Blakenzy]

I can volunteer to teach them really, really mean combinations of words. Can you imagine a classroom full of kids yelling mean-ess at the killer? That would have an effect, at least it's not moar gunz, most def.

[p12]

No EBRs (Evil Black Rocks) and no bucket can hold more than 10 rocks.

[freakazoid]

But I thought a person with a handgun vs a shooter with an AR had absolutely no chance because the bullets shoot just so much faster, and now they want to use rocks?

[Perd Hapley]

But I thought a person with a handgun vs a shooter with an AR had absolutely no chance because the bullets shoot just so much faster, and now they want to use rocks?

That's hilarious.

[Devonai]

 

[Pb]

Rocks are lot better than nothing, but a billion times worse than a gun.

[Ben]

It sounds like I might be in the minority here, but even if it's easy to make fun of "a bucket of rocks", isn't the idea of instilling a philosophy of self-defense a good one?

If you're going to be in an environment where it is very likely the good guys won't be armed, it seems like rocks, books, pencils, and even loud yelling are better than "just sit there and hope you don't get shot." If you're in a secure room, that's one thing, but if you're in the same room as the shooter, a "what have I got to lose" philosophy seems like something good to instill. Even if the kids (hopefully) never see a shooter, teaching them to take their lives in their own hands seems like a philosophy that will help them later in life and maybe even counteract the SJW "safety above all" nonsense that is turning kids (and adults) into squishy, helpless marshmallows.

[Pb]

It sounds like I might be in the minority here, but even if it's easy to make fun of "a bucket of rocks", isn't the idea of instilling a philosophy of self-defense a good one?

If you're going to be in an environment where it is very likely the good guys won't be armed, it seems like rocks, books, pencils, and even loud yelling are better than "just sit there and hope you don't get shot." If you're in a secure room, that's one thing, but if you're in the same room as the shooter, a "what have I got to lose" philosophy seems like something good to instill. Even if the kids (hopefully) never see a shooter, teaching them to take their lives in their own hands seems like a philosophy that will help them later in life and maybe even counteract the SJW "safety above all" nonsense that is turning kids (and adults) into squishy, helpless marshmallows.

I agree with you.

[Fly320s]

I'd like to see a live demonstration of the students throwing rocks at an attacker.  Put a man in a padded Red Suit, give him an airsoft gun, and see how many kids he can shoot.

[KD5NRH]

Granted people will get hurt, but they are going to anyway.

However, in today's society, the families of the ones who do get hurt are likely to sue on the grounds that maybe their kid wouldn't have been the one to get shot if he hadn't been encouraged to grab a rock and fight back.

[Unisaw]

Ben, I’m with you.  The rocks are better than the usual message that violence is never acceptable.  Given the zero-tolerance policies of most schools, I’m surprised they haven’t appended “get expelled” to the run, hide, fight mantra.

[BlueStarLizzard]

... Didn't we make guns so we could essentially throw rocks more efficiently?

[dogmush]

It sounds like I might be in the minority here, but even if it's easy to make fun of "a bucket of rocks", isn't the idea of instilling a philosophy of self-defense a good one?

If you're going to be in an environment where it is very likely the good guys won't be armed, it seems like rocks, books, pencils, and even loud yelling are better than "just sit there and hope you don't get shot." If you're in a secure room, that's one thing, but if you're in the same room as the shooter, a "what have I got to lose" philosophy seems like something good to instill. Even if the kids (hopefully) never see a shooter, teaching them to take their lives in their own hands seems like a philosophy that will help them later in life and maybe even counteract the SJW "safety above all" nonsense that is turning kids (and adults) into squishy, helpless marshmallows.

I also agree with Ben.  It is not going to happen that school children will be allowed an effective defense against an armed attacker.  At least they have something, and hopefully they will start thinking about the fact that they might have to make the best of a bad situation.

The run, cower, die, plan for active shooters has always grated on me.  I'm glad to see something, anything, else being presented.

[Perd Hapley]

Ben is wrong, actually. "Run, hide, fight" has been the mantra for at least the past several years. First, you're supposed to try to get away. If not, you hide. If the bad guy actually gets to you, "they" say you should throw stuff at him. The bucket of rocks is just an extension of the run, hide, fight doctrine. Yeah, you plan to fight back, but you don't actually take it seriously, and plan to have a gun.

... Didn't we make guns so we could essentially throw rocks more efficiently?

You mean cisgendered straight white Christian males made guns. Nevermind that they allow you to throw rocks more quickly, more accurately, from further away, and with more power. They're just bad.

[KD5NRH]

You mean cisgendered straight white Christian males made guns.

Erm...actually, that would be the Chinese.  And looking at how they dressed then, I'm not making any assumptions about their sexuality or gender identity, but it's a safe bet most weren't Christian.

[zxcvbob]

Erm...actually, that would be the Chinese.  And looking at how they dressed then, I'm not making any assumptions about their sexuality or gender identity, but it's a safe bet most weren't Christian.

There you go with your hate-facts again, trying to ruin the narrative.