When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos cited the potential of a bear threat to school kids everybody laughed. They might want to eat their words now.
Last month, as Betsy DeVos was going through the confirmation process for her nomination as Education Secretary, she mentioned the potential of a bear threat as a reason that a school might want to have a gun on premises.
DeVos was being grilled by Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) on the appropriateness of guns in schools. In reply to the senator's question, she said, "I think that's best left to locales and states to decide," whereupon the senator shot back, "You can't say today that guns shouldn't be in schools?"
DeVos responded, "Well, I would refer back to Senator Enzi and the school that he was talking about in Wapiti, Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies."
That answer from Devos was widely ridiculed. Even my own article on the topic saw a few commentators making fun of DeVos and using her answer to Murphy as evidence of her unsuitability for the position.
However, an incident in Southington, Conn. only last week substantiated DeVos' off-the-cuff though prescient declaration that a gun on school grounds might come in handy in bear country.
A black bear was spotted in the vicinity of two schools in Southington, and both were put on "Secure School Mode" as a result. Parents of children attending the schools received emails emails indicating that the schools were taking precautions to keep schoolchildren safe.
The bear eventually moved out of the area, and the "Secure School Mode" was lifted. So, while no gun was needed, the possibility of an actual bear encounter was there.
Betsy DeVos was right. And, as they say, it's better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it.
DeVos was confirmed for her role as the country's new Education Secretary.
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