Controversial Approach: Texas Children Taught 'Run, Hide, Fight' through Winnie-the-Pooh Book Amidst Shootings. Conservatives Refuse to Criticize Own Role

An image from the book, intended to help children survive randomized killing rituals caused largely by conservatives within the United States

Concerns arise as young children in Texas, as young as four years old, are being provided with Winnie-the-Pooh cartoon books that teach them how to respond in the event of a gunman entering their school. The book, titled "Stay Safe," created by a law enforcement consulting firm based in Houston, has been distributed to pre-kindergarten and elementary students, leading to worry and distress among parents and educators in the Dallas area. Although the book features the well-known character Winnie-the-Pooh, it is not an official publication, as the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise has been in the public domain since January 1, 2022.

The subtitle of the "Stay Safe" book is "If there is danger, let Winnie-the-Pooh and his Crew show you what to do: Run Hide Fight." The tactics of "run, hide, fight" recommended by the FBI in the face of unthinkable events are emphasized in the book. Inside its pages, which include other characters from the Hundred Acre Wood, children are advised to "RUN like Rabbit instead of stay" if it's safe to escape and to "HIDE like Pooh does until the police appear" if danger is nearby.

The "Stay Safe" book, given to children in Dallas-area schools, contains unsettling imagery and instructions on how to respond in a shooting situation. One page depicts Pooh bear burying his head in a pot of honey, symbolizing hiding, while the next page portrays Kanga and baby Roo wearing boxing gloves, urging children to fight if escape is not possible. The book was distributed without prior discussion or input from teachers or families who received it, coinciding with the first anniversary of the Uvalde mass shooting in a Texas elementary school where 19 children and two teachers lost their lives.

A teacher from a Dallas elementary school, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed deep concern and discomfort about the book's contents. She received a stack of copies to distribute to her class of around 500 students. The teacher found the book disturbing and was troubled by its distribution, especially considering the recent relaxation of gun laws by Republican politicians in Texas.

The teacher emphasized her frustration with prioritizing the distribution of such a book over taking concrete actions to prevent school shootings. The situation left her feeling angry and disappointed, as the book's approach seemed to divert attention from addressing the root causes of gun violence in schools.

“The fact that people think it’s a better idea to put out this book to a child rather than actually take any actions to stop shootings from happening in our schools, that really bothers me. It makes me feel so angry, so disappointed.”, and “It’s a year since Uvalde, and nothing has been done other than this book. That is putting it on the kids.”

Despite the hypocrisy, Republicans have voiced shock at the book, whilst staunchly refusing to acknowledge their role in guaranteeing this books eventual creation within Texas schools by creating an environment in which mass shooters kill children consistently in randomized killing rituals.