Administrators at W.F. Burns Middle School in Alabama are hosting a canned goods food drive. But, this isn’t a food drive for the hungry. They sent a letter home to parents requesting students bring in a can of food for defense in the event of a school shooting.
“We realize at first this may seem odd; however, it is a practice that would catch an intruder off-guard,” the letter reads. “The canned food item could stun the intruder or even knock him out until the police arrive. The canned food item will give the students a sense of empowerment to protect themselves and will make them feel secure in case an intruder enters the classroom.”
Throwing cans is part of the ALICE emergency plan that the school adopted from Auburn University. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. The administrators have been receiving negative feedback from parents and the community regarding the idea of arming students with canned goods.
The students would presumably need to have the cans nearby and ready to be thrown at all times in the event of an emergency.
Is encouraging students to throw canned goods at someone with a gun a proper safety plan?