Betsy DeVos at Bethune-Cookman University – Free Speech at Its Best

Before you judge how the students at the commencement exercises at Bethune-Cookman University behaved while Betsy DeVos delivered her address, please remember there is a history that the students there are very aware of that extends well beyond just DeVos’s background.

Consider this.

devos-statement

And then consider this.

Devosconsumerprotection

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday withdrew a series of policy memos issued by the Obama administration to strengthen consumer protections for student loan borrowers.

The Education Department is in the middle of issuing new contracts to student loan servicing companies that collect payments on behalf of the agency. These middlemen are responsible for placing borrowers in affordable repayment plans and keeping them from defaulting on their loans. But in the face of mounting consumer complaints over poor communication, mismanaged paperwork and delays in processing payments, the previous administration included contract requirements to shore up the quality of servicing. Companies complained that the demands would be expensive and unnecessarily time consuming” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/04/11/devos-dials-back-consumer-protections-for-student-loan-borrowers/?utm_term=.63707bb6887a).

Here is a link to the video of the actual commencement speech. Go to about 1 hour and four minutes into it.

Just watch.

http://time.com/4773639/betsy-devos-bethune-cookman-university-commencement-hbcu-watch-online/

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Interestingly enough, DeVos talked about Mary McLeod Bethune being a hero of hers. And then I read this quote from Awesomely Luvvie’s Blog Post (http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2017/05/bethune-cookman-2017-grads-betsy-devos.html).

“If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves. We should, therefore, protest openly everything … that smacks of discrimination or slander.” – Mary McLeod Bethune

Did DeVos remember that quote?

Those students sure did.