CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Liberals are mocking Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos over comments about the potential use of guns in schools to ward off grizzlies in places like Wyoming.

But those who live among the deadly bruins don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea, and count themselves among many in rural communities that could benefit from providing added protection for students in areas with long police response times.

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During the Jan. 17 confirmation hearing, DeVos told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee about a Wapiti, Wyoming elementary school that struggles to keep grizzlies off the playground, and she cited the school as an example of why local officials, rather than the federal government, should decide policies on guns in schools.

“I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies,” she said.

The comment inspired mocking memes online, editorials by mainstream media outlets like CNN that labeled her comments “absurdist political theater,” and numerous late night television one-liners.

Those living with grizzlies, however, understand that protecting students against the bears is no joke.

Officials at Wapiti Elementary School told the Associated Press they do not have a gun on campus, but do keep bear spray in case the animals breech the campus’ tall security fences. Another nearby school, Valley Elementary, also uses a fence after a series of problems over the past several decades.

According to PolitiFact:

Wapiti, an unincorporated community with a population of about 165, is located on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. More than 700 grizzlies live in the Greater Yellowstone area, according to the National Park Service.

The Wapiti school put up a fence to keep the grizzlies out of the playground in 2002, according to the Billings Gazette, a newspaper in Montana. Between 1990 and 2000, 16 grizzly bears were captured within a 4-mile radius of Wapiti, the article said.

The Denver Post reported in 2005 that a Wyoming Fish and Game biologist had recently captured two cubs hanging around the Wapiti school, and that a grizzly hide was nailed outside of the principal’s office.

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DeVos’ point about guns in schools was that local officials, not the federal government, should dictate whether such precautions are necessary to protect students against grizzlies, or deranged school shooters, or anything else.

“I think (grizzly protection) is a unique need to Wyoming, certainly,” DeVos said. “But certainly rural schools and rural settings require different approaches and different options.”

And Ray Schulte, superintendent for Wapiti schools, told the AP he believes local control over such decisions would help some schools.

“It may not be the right decision for certain school districts,” he said. “But when you’re in rural areas and you’re maybe 15 or 20 or 30 minutes away from anybody who could respond to an event, it does make sense that you might have somebody on staff who is armed and able to respond to an emergency.”

PolitiFact points out it’s currently illegal to carry a gun on elementary, middle and high school campuses in Wyoming, but state lawmakers are considering legislation to allow guns on public community college and university campuses.

The AP reports:

The proposal and one to allow guns at government meetings have caused little commotion.

Nobody is clamoring for guns in K-12 schools — yet. In the meantime, the tall fences put up at Wapiti Elementary and another Yellowstone-area school, Valley Elementary, seem to be working.

“It makes sense, because there are bear in the neighborhood,” Schulte said. “It’s kind of a wild place.”