Students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, were surprised to learn that gun advocate Betsy DeVos is visiting their school today.
Is she on a listening tour? Will she speak to the student leaders, who are leading the fight for gun control? Will she advise students to abandon MSD and transfer to a charter or a religious school? Will she urge teachers to carry arms?
Did it occur to her that the Trump administration is not exactly a symbol of reconciliation and solace for those who suffer?
Methinks she can learn more from the MSD community than they can learn from her.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
students at Stoneman Douglas are tweeting that she has refused to meet with or even listen to the students. not surprising…
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Wonder what she plans to do now? Is she really stupid enough to believe that she will convince students to support arming teachers? Isn’t this sort of the chicken walking into the lion’s den? No press?
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Betsy DeVos to meet with survivors of Florida high school shooting
by Diana Stancy Correll | Mar 6, 2018, 8:38 PM
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is scheduled to visit Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of last month’s deadly mass shooting where 17 individuals were killed by a gunman.
She will travel to the school in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday to “connect with students and teachers in the wake of the tragic shooting,” according to a schedule notice obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Press will not be permitted to cover her visit at the site, but will have availability after leaving the school.
The mass shooting has prompted renewed talks about stricter gun laws and solutions for improving school safety.
President Trump has suggested arming teachers to prevent future shootings. DeVos has indicated she would support such a move, but prefers to leave the decision up to states and local governments.
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Yeah for those tweets from MSD HS students.
I say, “GOOD for the students of MSD HS. It’s their lives and their futures. I am glad these HS students are courageous, bright, and SAVVY.”
Of course, DeVos has refused to meet with them or even listen to the students. She’s afraid her clothing will get dirty and afraid they will see her double-talk for what it is…smoke and mirrors.
And, of course, NO PRESS are allowed until after DeVos is done with her spins. DeVos is good at hiding.
I wonder if those in charge will actually take away the students’ cell phones? Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
If cell phones are not allowed, I hope there are many students who TAKE REALLY GOOD NOTES.
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It must be tough for DeVos to encounter actual public school students. She’s spent 2 years telling groups of adults how they’re all low performing and trapped in schools where they learn nothing and “check boxes” all day.
No wonder she doesn’t want to talk to these students. They don’t fit the ed reform narrative about public school students, which is relentlessly negative.
Just yesterday she was telling the elites of the ed tech industry what losers public school kids are- how they’re learning “20th century skills” and will be all but unemployable unless “rescued” by ed reformers.
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I’d place a bet that she’s not there to learn anything. It’s a PR stunt for the NRA and the Koch brothers, her closest allies.
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Here’s a link: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1dRJZeDwRroGB
She answers like she a contestant for a beauty pageant. OY!
Words of NOTHING flow from her mouth. GOOD GAWD.
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Correction: She answered like she IS a contestant for a beauty pageant.
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I’ll have to force myself to sit through that “press conference”. I just had lunch so I may have to wait a half hour before getting into that swampwater.
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Looks like this is the new norm. Long Beach is a well off district. How sad that life in this country has turned into a fear fest. [I asked twice for the link and it still hasn’t arrived.] How can students learn in an environment of fear? This ‘need’ for guns is crazy.
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Six potential threats in 10 days: Long Beach police, school district, parents endure disturbing times
…Such threats are nothing new, school district and law-enforcement officials say. But investigating six potential threats over a 10-day span was an anomaly. It forced police detectives to clock more than 200 hours of overtime and district officials – in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass shooting that killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida – to soothe nervous parents and students…
The threats at Millikan and Poly came a day after the Long Beach Unified superintendent, Christopher Steinhauser, sent out a note to parents reiterating that the district’s top goal is to keep students safe.
“Our schools,” he wrote, “work closely with law enforcement each day, often behind the scenes, including via monitoring of social media, to keep our students safe.”
Long Beach Unified typically receives four or five threats per year, said Tom Hickman, the chief of school safety for the district, which has 74,000 students. The district has never had an incident on campus involving a gun.
The district has 23 school safety officers who are armed and have graduated from a police academy, Hickman said. Another 15 officers are unarmed…
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Why do you call Ms. DeVos a “gun advocate”? Cite your source(s), please
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Her testimony to the committee reviewing her nomination. She defended guns in schools, because, you know, grizzlies.
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That one response in the confirmation hearings, is the basis for your statement. Fair Enough.
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Betsy DeVos supported Trump’s demand to arm school personnel.
There is two.
Would you call her an advocate of gun control? Where is your evidence?
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I am aware of her comments made during the confirmation hearing. She referenced the possible need to have firearms in rural schools, in case of bear attacks. I was not aware of her making any statements in support of the President’s proposal to arm school personnel.
I can not step into her mind. Where she stands of the broader questions of firearms rights, and the 2d amendment, I just do not have a clue.
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DeVos approves of the president’s proposal to arm school personnel, including librarians, guidance counselors and others. She approves his proposal to eliminate gun-free zones. Her position is clear.
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Since nearly all school shootings (and other mass shootings like the mall in Oregon, and the theater in Colorado) occurred in gun-free zones, I think it is time to reconsider the efficacy of these zones.
Which sign is more likely to deter a shooter?
“This is a gun-free zone”
“This location is patrolled by armed personnel, who are in possession of deadly weapons. They are ordered to SHOOT TO KILL”
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Since you are neither a parent, a student, nor a teacher, you have no skin in the game.
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Agreed, I am neither a parent, a student, nor a teacher. Stipulated. But I am a citizen and a taxpayer. I have close relatives who attend publicly-operated schools, since they cannot afford to pay both taxes and tuition costs. Like most people, I am furious at the inability of government to protect school children from shooters.
Another school shooting occurred today in Birmingham, one student is dead, another in critical condition. Although labeled “accidental” the student is just as dead.
You are evading the question. Which sign is more likely to deter a shooter?
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Charles, no sign will deter a shooter if their purpose is to kill and commit suicide. The killers at Columbine killed fellow students, then killed themselves. The killer at Sandy Hook murdered first grade children, teachers, and the principal, then killed himself. The high school in Florida had an armed guard. He stayed outside. When the police arrived, they apparently waited for a SWAT team before entering the building.
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Charles: She MAY have made donations to the GOP party totaling $200 million. That is why she is Secretary of Education. This grizzly thing shows how stupid she is.
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From NBCNews.com…
Betsy DeVos Cites Grizzly Bears During Guns-in-Schools Debate
NEWS
JAN 18 2017, 10:12 AM ET
…Billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos faced tough questions during Tuesday’s session, refused to rule out removing funding public schools if appointed and admitted her family may have made donations to the Republican Party totalling $200 million.
Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who has been vocal on gun control in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, asked DeVos if she thought firearms had any place in or around schools.
“I think that’s best left to locales and states to decide,” she replied.
Pressed on whether she could say “definitively” if guns shouldn’t be in schools, she referred to an earlier remark by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) who mentioned an elementary school in Wapiti, Wyoming, that had erected a fence to protect children from wildlife.
“I think probably there, I would imagine that there’s probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies,” DeVos said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/betsy-devos-schools-might-need-guns-due-potential-grizzlies-n708261?cid=eml_onsite
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I do not see the connection between monetary donations to her own party, and labeling her a “gun advocate”. Wealthy people make political donations. Until our nation decides to have publicly-financed campaigns, I suggest that we all get used to wealthy people making political donations.
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Hello, Charles, she supported guns in schools during her confirmation hearings.
Remember, grizzlies?
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Charles: I’m saying that she’s incompetent and got her job by donating money to the GOP. She would never have gotten the job if she hadn’t given money. She is totally unqualified. To say that she MAY have given implies that she can’t remember or she’s trying to hide the fact that she did. Gee. If I’d given $1 million I’d remember. She doesn’t give straight answers and to say that guns might be needed to shoot bears was just stupid.
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As I have previously stated, I am well-aware of Ms. DeVos comments made at the confirmation hearing. I remember the comments about rural schools needing firearms in case of wild animal attacks. Stipulated.
I am also well-aware of her family making donations to her political party. This is well-known.
I worked at the US Embassy in Paris. The ambassador was a plumbing contractor from Nashville, who donated a half million dollars to the Republican party. He neither spoke French, nor knew anything about foreign policy. He was a disaster. Again, so what?
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Your tolerance for incompetence is far higher than mine.
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Charles, because of incompetent policial appointments to the State Department (or any government agency), that’s why the U.S. “NEEDS” professional career diplomats that are public employees and not political appointees. Since every profession comes with the risk of incompetent employees, appointed or not, we have to rely on those that are not incompetent to make up the difference.
Under Trump, the number of incompetent appointments has skyrocketed.
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The President has the power to appoint ambassadors to represent the USA to foreign nations, and to other entities like the United Nations. These individuals need not be qualified, as long as the Senate gives advice and consents to the appointment.
Do not assume that I necessarily approve of this system, nor that I approve of incompetence. This is just the way that it is.
Fact is, the USA has some politically appointed ambassadors, who are excellent. Mike Mansfield (Democrat, former Senate leader) was appointed ambassador to Japan, and he was almost worshipped by the Japanese.
Not all career diplomats, are good ambassadors, some are inept. I have worked in foreign embassies in Africa and France, I know what I am talking about.
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Name one excellent well-qualified political appointment by Trump.
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Pres. Trump has made some excellent appointments. One is Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He is a brilliant jurist, and he will be a credit to the court and our nation. When he was up for a lower court appointment, he was confirmed by the Senate unanimously. He is respected and admired across all political lines. A brilliant man, and a brilliant appointment.
Elaine Chao for Secretary of Transportation. She is a first-generation Chinese immigrant, and she served brilliantly in the cabinet of George W. Bush. (I identify closely with her, my first wife was Chinese).
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Neil Grouch is not respected by both sides. He is an angry ideologue, a Manchurian candidate who is nursing the grievances of his mother, who was fired as Reagan’s EPA leader because she wanted to dismantle environmental protections.
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Oops, Neil Gorsuch but it got autocorrected to Neil Grouch.
Charles, I am not posting any more of your comments on choice, because you have said the same thing at least 3-4 times. No repetitive comments.
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No need to apologize for this autocorrect. Besides, Neil Grouch is appropriate for his obvious, stuck-in-concrete thinking.
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Lloyd: This is why the Evangelicals think Trump is god’s gift to humanity. My [corrupt] Senator Todd Young [R-IN] sent me a snail mail letter that says the following:
“On January 16, 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham )R-SC) introduced S. 2311, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I am a proud sponsor of this bill. This legislation would ban abortions after the 20 weeks post-fertilization. The United States is one of only seven countries in the world that allows abortions after 20 weeks – a list which includes human rights violators like China and North Korea. This is not company we want to be in. On January 29, a procedural motion to consider the measure, which I supported, failed by a vote of 51 to 46….I have firsthand experience of the importance of human life at all stages of development. I strongly believe in pro-life principles and will continue to support legislation that protects unborn life.”
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I find this so sweet. He believes life has value except when someone is mass killed by guns of all sorts. Those lives don’t matter. As I keep saying, “$2,896,732 buys a lot of NRA sponsored blindness towards the sanctity of life.
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Unborn life trumps the living.
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Diane: Here is my letter to Senator Todd Young [R-IN] for tomorrow.
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3/14/2018: Corrupt Senator Todd Young, lives matter when in the womb but not when killed by guns. NRA’s gift of $2,896,732 buys a lot of hypocrisy.
Corrupt Senator Todd Young, you care about the lives of fetuses but don’t care about innocent lives that are needlessly being killed by guns, especially military style automatic rifles. Life has value except when a child or an adult is murdered by a gun. Those lives don’t matter. As I keep saying, “$2,896,732 buys a lot of NRA sponsored blindness towards the sanctity of life. That’s called hypocrisy. How does it feel to be a hypocrite?
Pro-life means caring about everyone in society. Start caring about those who go to concerts, churches, schools, nightclubs, grocery stores, post offices, social gatherings or perhaps just innocently walking down the street. How many people have been killed today? Prove that you care about ‘the importance of human life at all stages of development”.
You have the power to change. Do it!!
Corrupt Senator Todd Young, you sent me a snail mail letter dated February 12, 2018 that proves you cares about fetuses. When will you support legislation that protects life after birth?
“On January 16, 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham )R-SC) introduced S. 2311, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I am a proud sponsor of this bill. This legislation would ban abortions after the 20 weeks post-fertilization. The United States is one of only seven countries in the world that allows abortions after 20 weeks – a list which includes human rights violators like China and North Korea. This is not company we want to be in. On January 29, a procedural motion to consider the measure, which I supported, failed by a vote of 51 to 46….I have firsthand experience of the importance of human life at all stages of development. I strongly believe in pro-life principles and will continue to support legislation that protects unborn life.”
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Somebody on twitter claims DeVos used the trip to Florida as an excuse to spend time on her yacht. Sad, if true.
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Yeah, she went from the high school to her yacht and took off for the Bahamas. Work is a drag when you never had to work before.
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DeVos had enough boats so it could be true.
“Very Rich Betsy DeVos Has 10 Boats, Two Helicopters, A Yacht Scheduler And A Lavish Lifestyle You Can’t Afford”
http://www.newsweek.com/can-you-afford-betsy-devoss-lavish-lifestyle-708369
One of her boats is a $40 million superyacht.
https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht_seaquest.html
And she had access to her brother’s private army too.
“Erik Prince, Betsy DeVos’s Brother, Is Creating A Private Army For China”
“1) Erik Prince is the former CEO of Blackwater, a controversial firm that behaved like a private military for U.S. occupation forces in Iraq. He is also Betsy DeVos’s brother. His new company, Frontier Services Group, is partially owned by China.”
https://www.themaven.net/theintellectualist/news/erik-prince-betsy-devos-s-brother-is-creating-a-private-army-for-china-fJyndstzmUOB5hFHiz9niw
Why does China need a private army owned by an American billionaire?
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Hey, Hey, NRA, how many kids have you killed today?
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NRA Sues Florida to Block Part of New Gun Law
By Steve Almasy, CNN
10 March 18
The National Rifle Association is suing the state of Florida after Gov. Rick Scott signed Senate Bill 7026 into law Friday, the first gun control legislation enacted in the state after the Parkland school massacre on February 14.
The NRA suit focuses on the part of the law that raises the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 from 18.
“This bill punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual,” executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action Chris W. Cox said. “Securing our schools and protecting the constitutional rights of Americans are not mutually exclusive.”
Seventeen people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a 19-year-old man with a semi-automatic military-style rifle opened fire.
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Florida, says the age minimum section of the new law violates the second and 14th amendments of the US Constitution…
Check out this story on CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/us/nra-sues-florida-gun-law/index.html
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I signed a petition on MoveOn.org concerning FedEx and its discount to members of the NRA. Here is their response. [In short, they feel they cannot discriminate against customers who are getting a discount based on their political beliefs.] BS is my response.
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MoveOn.org petitions-noreply+tt@moveon.org
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the petition posted concerning the FedEx position related to the NRA. We’ve reviewed the petition, and as you’ll see from the public statements that we’ve made (included below), we are aligned with your call for meaningful restrictions on the sale of assault weapons. In fact, FedEx agrees that there is an urgent need for common sense solutions to the rise of gun violence in this country. We decided to become one of the first major corporations to make our position clear and support prohibition of assault rifles and large capacity ammunition magazines for non-military use, as well as enhanced background checks and significant increases in safety measures and technology to protect children and teachers in schools.
While we are in agreement with your message concerning gun violence and strongly advocate for this prohibition on assault weapons and ammunition, we believe the focus of your petition on FedEx is misdirected, and want to share some facts to help clarify our position. First, FedEx and all common carriers operating under federal law have an obligation to transport items that are lawfully shipped and can be transported safely (see common carrier definition below). We follow the same federal regulations and obligations concerning the transportation of firearms and ammunition as all common carriers, including UPS. I also want to make sure you understand our relationship with the NRA as well as the service provided to the NRA by UPS. FedEx is not a member or sponsor of the NRA. We have never made a contribution to the NRA. UPS provides discounted shipping rates to the NRA directly while FedEx provides discounted shipping rates to independent small businesses and other members of the NRA through our alliance marketing program – rates that are consistent with those offered to more than one million members of hundreds of other associations.
Some have asked why FedEx won’t simply remove the pricing program for members of the NRA. This would amount to discriminatory and punitive pricing to members of an association due to their political views or affiliation. We’re being asked to target a select group of American small business and individual customers solely on political grounds.
At FedEx, we are proud to be a driving force in enabling global commerce. Because of the unique capabilities of our worldwide networks, we have been asked to cease serving or change prices for numerous organizations for political reasons over the years. Conservative groups have threatened to boycott FedEx if we did not cut ties with certain organizations they disfavor, and liberal groups have done the same many times. In all of these cases across the political spectrum over the years, we have never withheld service from customers or adjusted their pricing in response to various forms of social media pressure or misinformed press commentary. While your organization is not a member of our alliance marketing program, if it was and you came under political or social attack for views on an issue, be assured that we would take the same position we have taken here. We simply do not believe that we should target any customers for discrimination or punitive action based on their political stance. We believe it would be unlawful for a common carrier to do so.
We at FedEx are completely aligned with you that gun safety and protecting our communities and schools is a critical issue for our nation, and I hope that I’ve been able to better explain our position. Thank you again for reaching out and allowing FedEx the opportunity to respond to your petition.
Sincerely,
Frederick W. Smith Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer FedEx Corporation
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Carol,
FEDEX gives discounts to members of NRA.
When I called to cancel the account I had with FEDEX for more than 30 years, I explained why. The woman on the phone said OK, your account is canceled and hung up. No elaborate or even simple defense.
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There were probably so many people calling in to cancel, that the people at FedEx answering the phones didn’t have time to do anything but say okay and cancel before moving on to the next call.
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SATIRE from The Borowitz Report
N.R.A. Proposes Having Second Armed Teacher in Every Classroom to Stop First Armed Teacher from Misfiring
By Andy BorowitzMarch 15, 2018
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Hours after an armed teacher in a Northern California classroom fired a gun and injured a student, the head of the National Rifle Association proposed placing a second armed teacher in every classroom, to shoot the first armed teacher before he or she can do harm.
“Had there been a second armed teacher in the classroom to shoot the first armed teacher, this regrettable incident would never have occurred,” Wayne LaPierre said. “The only thing that stops a bad teacher with a gun is a good teacher with a gun.”
The N.R.A. executive vice-president said, “In a perfect world, you would have a third armed teacher, in case the second one messes up, but right now I’d settle for two.”
He blamed anti-gun activists for blocking measures that would allow multiple teachers with guns to shoot at one another and thus keep the nation’s classrooms safe. “It’s time to stop the madness,” he said.
Andy Borowitz is the New York Times best-selling author of “The 50 Funniest American Writers,” and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes the Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news, for newyorker.com.
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