Speak Softly and Carry a BIG stick

In the 1900's Theodore Roosevelt said, "speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far."  And in 2010 Kenyetta Wilbourn does just that.  Wilbourn is Principle of one of Detroit's worst performing high schools and to protect herself she uses an aluminium baseball bat.  In 2007 Wilbourn started carrying the bat as an assistant principle when a violent fight broke out. Rather than rushing in head first, she grabbed the bat her 9-year-old son had left in her office and worked her way through a crowd that was beating a young man, who eventually died.


"There was chaos everywhere," Wilbourn told the WJR this morning.  "My first thought when responding to a 'code red' was to grab my bat. And I found while the bat didn't save the life, it saved me, and I've carried it ever since."


And while it may seem that a principle carrying a baseball bat is out of line, Wilborn maintains that she only  carries the bat for self-defense and as of yet no parents have complained.  


And just to be clear Wilbourn does not carry the bat at all times only when she is patrolling halls and is outside on campus.  


Although the schools academics are declining I would like to commend this lady for not worrying about political correctness.  She feels threatened and instead of someone explaining to her family that she was killed, she is taking steps herself to protect and defend not only herself but her students as well.  


"What we try to provide for the students is what some of them may not have at home, and that's the feeling of belonging to a village and family," she said.

"If you intend to do anything that might disrupt the process, then you don't belong in the village, and there must be some place else your parent might want to take you, because you won't survive or last at Denby;" Wibourn.