I think had you really been trolling you would have been a lot more emotional and demeaning. These discussions about all the What If's allows us to spit ball, refine, relate to comprehending a small percentage possibility.

Chances of being mugged or in a shoot out are very rare, yet we must go past the title of a subject in order to see gather information on the how, why, etc.

I live in a desert, so the chance of a blizzard or earthquake are rare but I still read those threads and become a part of the discussion in order to prepare myself for somehow being in them.

I wasn't trying to start an argument. I just wanted to make the point that the amount of preparedness should correlate to the likeliness and impact of the risk. Buying a survival knife makes sense after you've purchased a smoke detector. :-)

I think gulliamo makes a good point.

In terms of what will give you the most protection for time and money spent having the brakes checked on your car and taking a weekend defensive driving course makes a lot more sense than worrying about a campus shooting.

Going for a brisk walk, visiting the gym, generally getting some exercise, and swearing off sweets and white bread are more likely to save your life than anything you might do or plan for dealing with a campus shooting.

That said, this issue has regularly made it into the news and has piqued the interest of a good part of the American public. It also has to be pointed out that many of the same issues and strategies for getting through the unlikely event of a campus shooter also apply to attacks at workplaces, and public spaces like malls.

I agree. The odds of a campus shooting happening on any semblance of a regular basis is extremely low. Also you have to factor in the large number of Universities and Colleges that exist. A typical campus covers acres of ground with lecture halls, labs etc spread out over a wide distance. That said, the odds of you being in campus building that is a target is extremely low and you probably have better odds of getting run over in the parking lot on the way to class.

I don't necessarily prioritize my preparations based on "the odds". If I did so, there would be no reason for me to carry a compass while hiking. The chances of getting lost in the Colorado drainages where I hike are miniscule (to get out - "walk downhill, and don't cross any high elevation ridges" - you don't need a compass for that). But I carry one anyways.

Preparing for a "campus shooting" is not specific to campus. It is also applicable for "department store shooting", "grocery store shooting", "movie theater fire", etc.

For anyone to say, "the odds are against this happening to me", while an accurate statement, is an incredibly dumb one. So my goal during one of these incidents will be to surround myself with as many "it won't happen to me's" as possible to serve as a human shield and diversion.

Maybe, preparing for the specific is preparing for the general. That is, maybe preparing for a low probability event includes elements of preparation applicable to higher probability events. If so, discussing preparation to deal with any threat event provides worthwhile information on dealing with any other threat event.

In addition, consulting the ETS community is an opportunity to learn of specific tactics that may be options about which you were not aware, unless of course you already know everything. For those in that category, we can only ask that you be so kind as to share.

http://www.botachtactical.com/us10leiii.html

Hmmm, 4 pounds plus, $295 plus, and restricted export. Wonder if there is something US-available that gives the same level of protection and is a bit more user and pocketbook friendly?

OK, could try here for $305: http://www.omahatactical.com/id91.html

Well, I suppose you don't want this stuff getting into general circulation too easily.

BTW your easy familiarity with things like this remains a bit scary!

Each to their own reasons for preparations. I base my mine on odds.

The odds are low that I may have a heart attack, but do I have an ambulance follow me around just in case of that minuscle chance I am not in cell range and cannot summon help?

The odds are low that I may be shot in a grocery store, does that mean I should worry and fret and wear body armour just in case for that next time I saunter down to the local grocery store?

I live in a volcanic zone historically known for eruptions. Should I be prepared for a 1 in 200,000 year chance of being near when and if the volcano erupts again? Maybe I should be more prepared and sell or move my house 300 miles just to be safe. Afterall, it would be "incredibly dumb" for me to not think "it won't happen to me" and I will be then used as a "human shield" to protect those who are more prepared.

On the otherhand, I carry a PLB while out hiking. Why? Because the odds of me falling, getting injured and requiring rescue are much more likely then having a heart attack or getting shot at the grocery store or getting buried under hot lava. By the way you do carry a PLB while out hiking, right?

It really comes down to perspective and that every person's idea of risk/odds are completely different in a 1001 different scenarios and it is "incredibly dumb" not to respect that.

Keep in mind that Export Control just means you can't sell them outside the United States without the proper paperwork. It has no bearing on sales within the Unites States. For example, many Surefire flashlights carry an Export Control, yet they are still sold within the U.S. to civilians without issue.

As long as you live within the United States and body armor is legal for you to own in your state/county/town, then there is no reason you can't buy it.

With that said, if you want a cheaper and lighter weight alternative to hard plates, you can buy soft ballistic inserts. They're essentially the same as the plates, but only rated to level IIIa (so basically it covers everything other than high powered rifles). These range anywhere from $50 to $250 depending on size.

Here's some: http://www.bulletproofme.com/Briefcase_and_Backpack_Shields.shtml

Some here people are getting upset about discussing solutions to the original question. Don't worry because I have a solution for you. Start a new thread entitled, "Preparing for a Mass Shooter Situation is a Waste of Time Probably."