Dear Ann Landers: I am an average woman married to an average man. We have three average children, 15, 12 and 10 years of age. We live in an average city, New Haven, Conn. Like other average families, we have a hard time putting away a few dollars every month for our children`s college education.
As tight as things are, next week I am going to New York to spend $825 on jackets for our three sons. These are not ordinary jackets. They are bulletproof. We heard about them from my husband`s brother, who bought some for his children.
They were bought from a former New York City police officer whose security firm is marketing them.
The brochure says the synthetic material that goes into these jackets will ”stop slugs and save lives.” It says, ”You may get some bad bruises from the impact of the bullets and maybe some broken ribs, but the bullets will not pierce the body.”
The synthetic material is five times stronger than steel and relatively lightweight. This bulletproof jacket is not much heavier than an ordinary jacket. Nobody will know it is bulletproof except the person who is wearing it.
Because you deal with all sorts of contemporary issues, Ann, I thought you might like to hear about the latest.
Deeply Concerned in Conn.
Dear Concerned: If bulletproof jackets give you and your husband peace of mind, fine, but it might be more important to instruct your children to steer clear of places where bullets may be flying.
The real solution is to get rid of the guns now in circulation and make it a lot harder to get new ones. Last year in Chicago, 324 people younger than 21 were charged with gun-related murder, more than triple the number in 1985. Eighty-three of the killers were no older than 16.
In Los Angeles, a serious crackdown on teenage gangs has started in earnest. Let`s hope it sweeps the country.
Dear Ann Landers: I`m a nobody in a small town in Texas. I can`t get anyone`s attention, but maybe you can. I`m certainly not the only person who is upset by the packaging of breakfast cereals.
First, the box is so big it will not fit on the average shelf. You try to stand it up but you can`t, so you lay it down and the cereal falls out. You finally put it in the laundry room, next to the detergent.
When you open the box you can`t find the cereal. Half the box is empty. Does cereal need 5 inches of air?
The instructions for opening the box say you are supposed to push the tab in and pull back, but it is reinforced with three layers of cardboard, and nobody can get to it without a knife.
So, after the knife slips and you have to go to the emergency room to get 12 stitches in your hand, you come home and look for a meat cleaver, chop the box open, and put the cereal in a jar, which you should have done in the first place.
Ann, you will be performing a valuable service if you print this letter. Like I said, I`m nobody, but maybe the manufacturers (who pay packaging experts millions to screw up) will listen to you.
Floyd A. Butcher, Kempner, Texas
Dear Floyd: Here`s your letter. If I hear anything from the cereal companies, I`ll let you know. Thanks for writing.
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Is life passing you by? Want to improve your social skills? Write for Ann Landers` new booklet, ”How to Make Friends and Stop Being Lonely.” Send a self-addressed, long, business-size envelope and a check or money order for $4.15 (this includes postage and handling) to: Friends, c/o Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, Ill. 60611-0562. (In Canada, send $5.05.)
