A Denton, Texas Mom Sends Kid to School in Homemade ‘Bulletproof’ Dress

Back-to-school time is a notoriously stressful time for both kids and parent. In the wake of recent and continuing school shootings, though, those stress levels are at an all time high. One mom, Cassie Arnold, a teacher and mother in Denton, Texas, sent her daughter to school in a homemade "bulletproof" dress.

My hope is that a civil conversation about guns and the safety of our children will occur as people experience this piece. The timing is intentional. School is starting and the elections in November are coming. It’s time to pressure those who have the agency to create changes to do so. It is time to support teachers and give them the resources that they need to inspire our students. - Cassie Arnold

This year, Arnold made a school dress for her first grader entirely out of Kevlar. While the dress isn't truly bulletproof, it is made of the same material that was used in our helmets when I was in the Army, and the same material that military and law enforcement use in bulletproof vests.

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Since posting the pictures of her daughter she has garnered national attention. Earlier this week she shared a few pictures on Instagram and she offered up her explanation behind making the Kevlar "bulletproof" dress.

School Uniform (Bulletproof Dress) is the way that I am processing all of my feelings. It was originally designed to be satirical, to be a more extreme response to these tragedies. But, the real responses from some of our leaders were too close for comfort. 50 million dollar proposal for police shields. Bulletproof objects and backpacks for children. Vests for elementary kids in the classroom. Military personal and single entrances for all schools.

She's not alone in her worry. According to Yahoo, recent studies have shown a rise in anxiety among teens and adults over safety concerns at school. This is this mom's way of continuing the gun conversation.