BETSY DEVOS/GUNS/SCHOOL SHOOTINGS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A Trump administration school safety panel hardly touched on the role of guns in deadly school shootings in its wrap-up Tuesday [12-18-18]. Instead, the panel took a far less confrontational approach by sidestepping President Donald Trump’s call for trained teachers to carry guns and avoiding recommendations on age restrictions for the purchase of guns. Trump created the school safety commission and asked Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to chair it following the February shooting that claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Trump, after the shooting, said teachers ‘adept at firearms’ could end school attacks and thwart them altogether, because ‘cowards’ wouldn’t go into well-guarded schools to commit shootings. But the panel instead encouraged more coordination between schools and law enforcement that could include programs that arm highly trained school personnel. It said local communities should consider incentives that encourage military veterans and those with a law enforcement background to work in schools.”
–Kimberly Hefling, “Trump school safety group backs off his call to arm trained teachers,” Politico, December 18, 2018 4:37 pm