Days after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a friend sent me a link to a bulletproof backpack insert and a three-page document from the manufacturer. The document offers information about Training Our Kids for the Next School Shooter. It shows an image of a school-aged girl in four different poses, demonstrating the many ways a child could use the ballistic insert to shield themselves from the wrath of a crazed gunman.

The document lists some dos and donts in the event of an active shooter. Do: find cover, conceal yourself, present a small target, and call or text for help. Do not: carry anything while running, hide in the shooters line of sight, or plead for your life.

With bulletproof backpack sales skyrocketing after the Uvalde shooting, it is evident that the monetization of fear and grief is nearly as American as school shootings themselves. Still, as a fearful parent and former educator grieving the Uvalde tragedy, I found it hard to consider the $129 bulletproof shield which comes in camo, patriotic and school themes as anything other than a bargain.

Prompted by the link to the ballistic backpack insert, I asked my son to describe a lockdown drill.

His teacher turns off the lights, obstructs the doorway and grabs her baseball bat. The children sit against the wall. My son emphasized the importance of everyone being quiet. This checklist, of course, has been seared into the minds of American educators. Having taught elementary special education, Im not an exception.