Oklahoma's Dumbest Idea: Kevlar Book Covers

Yes, ladies and gents, it's absolutely true: Oklahoma's GOP candidate for state school superintendent, Bill Crozier, proposed this fall that book covers for the state's textbooks be made with bullet-proof Kevlar. It saves lives in Baghdad—why not try it in kindergartens and eight-grade classrooms from Sallisaw to Elk City?

If we follow Crozier's "logic" correctly, school children would use their armored books as shields when gunmen attack them in their schools. Like Superman himself, eagle-eyed, highly coordinated school children would bat away those pesky bullets, driving the frustrated would-be killers batty. Soon out of ammo, they would turn themselves in to local police, and all would be well.

To be fair, Crozier himself recognized that Kevlar book covers did not address the real problems behind recent school violence. Nevertheless, Kevlar book covers are AltTulsa's 2006 nomination for Oklahoma's dumbest political idea.

P.S.—For the record, we are happy to report that incumbent Sandy Garrett, a Democrat, was reelected as state school superintendent.