They may know it on an intellectual level, but the purpose of this excercise was to bring it home on an emotional level.
So I'm with Joe here, I'm sure that a policemans family knows intellectually that he may be injured or killed, but they really haven't experienced the emotional impact such an event would have.
If it is good for the children, it certainly is reasonable to consider that it may be 'good' for the family of a police officer.
I don't think it's good for either, and someone should get a severe reprimand.
Why are school teachers so dumb?
Again, most of the PARENTS supported it. This is not a situation of stupid educrats doing things the parents disapprove of.