Firearms have the added advantage of inflicting structural damage and death.
A dead bear doesn't come back to attack you some more.
A dead bear doesn't learn and go attack another person.
A dead bear doesn't pass on its propensity to attack humans to new bear generations.
Who was it that said “When gunpowder speaks beasts listen.”?
L
If these “bear spray journalists” were being dropped off in the middle of grizzly country and told they have to hike out with only with a map, a compass and a choice between bear spray and a handgun.......which do you think they would choose?
Bullets fired into the wind won’t blow back in your face.
In a world which is NOT described as ‘bizzarro’, such logic might be applied to US criminal justice (including traitorous politicians/bureaucrats).
But we are, truly, living in Bizzarro world.