Guns are a part of American culture. Since the writing of the United States Constitution in 1789 and its ratification into the Bill of Rights in 1791, Americans have touted the Second Amendment, which famously supports “the right of the people to keep and bear arms,” as part of the national identity and spirit. Besides “no taxation without representation,” the Second Amendment has become integral to the American doctrine, where every citizen has the right to protect themselves against tyrannical powers.
The support of the Second Amendment (2A) stands for a good cause: It allows for citizens to protect themselves within their homes, and on their property, against aggressors; for invested individuals, the 2A gives them the means to collect guns and various weaponry, unafraid of limitations that might hold them back from doing so; for those weary of the government, cautious citizens can arm themselves against federal insurrection, stockpiling weapons in the event of a totalitarian-state takeover.
While there are numerous benefits to the 2A, it has a serious downside: With ownership being as easy as purchasing a gun, little to no mandated background checks, and no waiting periods for the purchase of specific firearms, some nefarious people—pushed by ideology, mental illness, or conspiracy theories—are able to get their hands on powerful guns. As most Americans know, this has had serious consequences on the stability of the American public, with mass shootings becoming an ever-present reality across the nation.
Serious defenders of the 2A will say that worries over the 2A are nothing more than fear-mongering, but statistics collected both by journalistic outlets and governmental agencies show the severity of active shooter scenarios. Anyone living in a major U.S. city is likely to know someone affected by such unfortunate scenarios, whether an active shooter has wreaked havoc on their workplace, a child’s school, or a place of worship while a friend was in attendance.
It’s an unfortunate part of the reality that Americans live in every day: Places that once felt safe now instill worries of fear, worry, and the necessity to create escape plans in the event of an active shooter. The thought of getting caught in such a scenario is a scary one, but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying your life. You can continue to live your life to the fullest all while ensuring you are prepared with proper self-defense weapons and skills for such an event.
Preparation Is Key
Although active shooters are a part of American reality, you need to go about your everyday life. You can do so, without being held back, by ensuring you are properly prepared for any scenario and one of the best ways to do that is with ballistic gear
Active Shooter Drills
One way to keep yourself prepared in the event of an active shooter is to take specially designed classes that address such situations. These classes, often run by professionals with experience in law enforcement or the military, run you through the basics of what to do if you suddenly become part of an active shooting. Drills and instruction will involve:
- Creating cover for yourself and others
- Using existing structures as a means of protection
- Safely exiting a scenario while evading the shooter
- And—as a last resort—facing an active shooter head-on—primarily how to protect yourself with nearby objects if things come to that
Many school systems have begun teaching these courses to students once or twice a year, helping students identify strategies and patterns that can be employed as a group to remain safe within classrooms and elsewhere. Similarly, such classes can be conducted to help people identify possible warning signs prior to a shooting, so they can reach out for help before things become any worse.
The “Good Guy with a Gun”
Some people looking to prepare and protect themselves against active shooters will lean on the 2A and say they will carry a gun themselves. The logic makes sense: If you—a law-abiding citizen—carry a firearm on your person, you can effectively stop dangerous people from hurting others. However, statistics show that it might not work as well as people think.
If it is a notion you abide by, and you are a trained gun owner, you can consider carrying as a means of self-protection in the event of the worst; however, if you are not a trained gun owner, you should consider not arming yourself with a lethal weapon—in some cases, it can lead to more damage than good.
The Benefit of Protective Gear
Beyond taking self-defense classes and going through numerous active shooter drills, your best bet when preparing yourself is to carry a piece of protective gear. Again, while some people might consider a gun to be a piece of protective gear, it inserts itself as another issue, as the use of it will make you a direct target while endangering other people around you if you miss the aggressor with a shot. We recommend carrying a portable and easy-to-use bulletproof item on you whenever heading into notable social environments. Below are some items we recommend most of all.
Portable and Easy to Use Bulletproof Items
Soft Armor Backpack Insert
This bulletproof backpack insert, created by Streetwise™, comes in various sizes and is designed to convert any backpack, laptop case, or handbag into a ballistic shield. Tested by an individual facility at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this bulletproof insert provides you with the highest level of protected—Level 3A standards—for any and all flexible, soft body armor.
Inserted into any carrying item, this insert provides you with a protective shield that can be placed in front of you while taking cover behind a wall, desk, or shelving unit; furthermore, it can be placed atop your back as you escape from the scenario, giving you a defense against stray bullets as you run. Although lightweight and flexible, this bulletproof insert can stop nearly all handgun rounds, from 9mm to those from a .44 Magnum.
Hard Plate Ballistic Insert
More rugged than the Soft Armor Insert, the BAP™ bulletproof backpack hard plate insert is a stronger, heavier plate of armor providing greater protection against bullets, including .44mag, .357, .38SPL, 10mm, .45ACP, .40S&W, 9mm, .380 caliber or .22 caliber bullets.
Easily inserted into any backpack, bag, or carrying case, this hard plate ballistic insert can protect your vital body organs against injury. In the event of an active shooter, this can be held in front of you to remain safe. Rather than worry, you can keep this insert in your backpack at all times, keeping you protected at any moment.
Body Armor Bulletproof Insert
The Spartan™ body armor insert is an American made device designed to protect you against more intense bullets. Tested within NIJ labs, in accordance to their NIJ010106 protection standards, this ballistic bulletproof insert can protect from 9 mm, .38 caliber, .380 caliber or .22 caliber bullets, .40 S&W, .357 magnum, .44 magnum, .223 hollow point, 7.62 NATO, and 5.56 JHP.
Made from lab-certified AR500 ballistic steel, this insertable plate was created with the wearer’s comfort in mind. While this can be inserted into backpacks and bags like the other ballistic plates, this item is designed to be stored under the clothing, much like a bulletproof vest. Designed to “crease” bends to contour with your body, you are given increased comfort while receiving extreme protection against handgun and rifle fire. Rather than wearing a bulky vest that might limit your range of motion, the Spartan body armor inserts are designed to move with you, making it easier to run, duck, and dodge as needed.
Bulletproof Backpack
This high-end bulletproof backpack, created by Tuffypacks©, features all of the best traits of modern backpacks with Level IIIA Bulletproof protection. This backpack, which comes in at a height of 19 inches, and with room for up to a 17-inch laptop, is perfect for high schoolers, college students, professionals, and any travelers.
With 24 layers of Twaron anti-ballistic material sewn into the center divider of the backpack, this wearable device provides you with the largest possible protection area, all while allowing you to remove and replace protective plates as you wish. Other storage areas make it easy for you to carry all necessary books, devices, and items with easy, never hindering you from living your everyday life. Rather than having to move your ballistic insert from bag to bag, this bulletproof backpack allows you to walk around with protection at all times, ensuring you are never left unguarded.
Children’s Bulletproof Backpack
As a parent, you want nothing more than for your child to be safe at all times. And, sometimes, your child wants nothing more than to fit in with other children around their age. To get the best of both worlds, Streetwise™ created a bulletproof emoji backpack that keeps your children safe in the event of an active shooter, all while giving them an inconspicuous backpack design they’ll love.
Tested by the NIJ, this bag meets Level 3A bulletproof rating standards, meaning it offers the highest protection level for lightweight armor—it has the ability to stop nearly all handgun shots, from a 9mm pistol to a .44 Magnum. Beyond protective features, the bag features numerous areas for storage, from zippered pockets to pouch pockets stored within the bag, which will allow your child to easily carry and store all of their necessary items to and from school.
Putting These Bulletproof Items into Use
The five bulletproof items listed can be used at the owner’s discretion. Whenever it is felt that a bulletproof item might be needed, you should listen to your gut and bring it with you. This can include storing a bulletproof insert in your handbag while heading to a concert, putting a hard plate insert into your backpack prior to heading to the college library, or having your child wear their bulletproof backpack to school and on field trips.
You want to make sure, most of all, that you are never trapped in a situation where you do not have such an item on you—where you are left unprepared for such a scenario. Rather than taking a chance, it’s in your best interest to keep your portable bulletproof item on you, carrying it wherever you might be headed. It might provide you with the peace of mind needed to easily go about your day.
The nation is in a strange place when it comes to guns. While the United States continues to break into factions over whether gun ownership should go along untampered with or whether some limitations should be considered, such as limiting ownership of high-capacity, high-frequency-fire rifles, active shootings continue to happen.
Actions will eventually be taken to limit such scenarios from taking place, but for now it seems to have become a trait of our national character and reality. To ensure you remain unharmed by such actions, it is a smart idea to take precautions to protect yourself. As mentioned above, one such action can include taking part in active shooter drills and instructional classes; moreover, you should consider carrying a portable bulletproof item on you at all times, in case such a scenario happens to break out. Having additional self-defense weapons like a stun gun or pepper spray on hand can also help to ensure your safety in dangerous situations.
If you have any questions about purchasing a bulletproof backpack, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our innumerable security experts. They can help clarify how our products work and which products are right for you and can offer you insight on how to protect yourself within certain situations.
An active shooting can break out at any time. Don’t wait until it happens. Take the steps to prepare and protect yourself beforehand.