These folks (or a related venture, the Center for Personal Protection and Safety) have produced a video covering usefully proactive responses to campus threats, up to and including loonies using weapons. According to a wire service, "hundreds of colleges" have bought it and the associated training program. It attempts to inculcate a survival mindset and points out that in a crowded classroom, the baddies are outnumbered and can be taken down by determined effort and then proceeds to practical examples.
Meanwhile, this guy, a cryptozoologist, sociologist and anthropologist* fears showin' the poor impressionable kiddies (ages 18 and up!) and their professors such violent images might trigger PTSD -- and that the techniques shown might inspire "troubled students." 'Cos, you know, there's no other place they'd ever hear about or see such things (other than, say, the History Channel, CNN or local newspapers) and it's a lot better to die innocent than to survive with a murderer's blood on your hands.
Like hell it is.
Humans are not sheep, sir; and while our worst predators are members of our own species, so are our best protectors, ourselves. Good people outnumber crazies millions to one -- but far too many of the good lack the basic mindset to prevail over the evil and/or deranged. As long as we line up meekly for the slaughter, crazy will look cool to other crazies. When the baddies start goin' down before their little bloodfest gets well underway, the appeal will fade. It's called "negative feedback."
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* I can't stop myself -- does this mean when he finds Bigfoot, he'll study the critters' tribal structure an' try to get 'em on Welfare?
I'll just stand here beside you, if that's OK.
ReplyDeleteCryptozoologist? Is that some kind of wacko?
ReplyDeleteI guess this post just answered my questions...
It's arguable, Less; cryptozoology has had some triumphs, like the okapi. Wikipedia has a good article on the topic.
ReplyDeleteIndividual cryptozoologist vary from eccentic yeti-hunters to PhD.s after better photos of giant squid; from the tag alone, there's no telling.