P.C. Air Security - When will our pilots be armed?

National Review Online ^ | September 2, 2003 | John R. Lott, Jr.

[aculeus]

Pilots of cargo jets should be required to carry.

[ArrogantBustard]

FWIW ...

Virginia is also an "open carry" state. IOW, it is legal to carry a handgun, no permit required, if it is not concealed. In most urban areas, though, that's probably inviting hasslement from the cops for "disturbing the peace" or some such nonsense. For more information on being personally armed in Virginia, check out the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

[astounded]

I believe pilots should be allowed to keep firearms in the cockpit. That being said, I also believe that it would be a near impossibility for any muslim terrorists to take over another American aircraft as they did in 2001. At that time, the mantra was "stay calm, give them what they want, nothing worse will happen". They caught the flight crews and passengers by surprise, cowing them into submission with extreme violence against passengers and crew, and having their way - until the word got out and on Flight 93 the crew and passengers resisted. Yes, they died, but the muslims did no further damage to structures and people on the ground.

Today, in the air, "stay calm" is not an option. Many passengers, in my experience, carefully eye boarding individuals, I know I look at everyone sitting in 1st class (I don't usually fly there), plus I look down the length of the cabin to see if there are any obviously arab or muslim elements. Especially to see if there are any seated together or in close proximity to one another and to cabin choke points. I keep potential weapons (carryon bag strap with buckle, two Uni-Ball fine point pens, my own belt with buckle) at the ready and "sleep" with one eye open. I look for individuals moving about the cabin and locate male passengers who I believe would be valuable allies in a tussle. It's up to us, people, to assure our own safety today. The US government, try as it may, cannot make things perfectly safe. But, I'm not about to let any muslims pricks take me and my family down without a fight to the death.

We are all Minutemen in this war, just like in 1776. It's the same thing now as then - a war for independence against Islam that we cannot lose.

[snopercod]

There is a proposal for just that. The requirements to carry onboard an aircraft are 1. A CCW permit, 2. Frangible ammunition, 3. Self-training by reading a pamphlet, 4. Some secret means of identification to other legal carriers.

I posted the link earlier, but can't seem to find it.

In the meantime, this is a good site: Project: Safe Skies

[snopercod]

Pilots of cargo jets should be required to carry.

Until the early sixties, pilots of any aircraft carrying U.S. mail were required to carry.

[mysterio]

Our pilots should be armed as soon as possible. I think tasers should also be at their disposal, should they choose. However, the gun is necessary for the protection of the passengers.

[snopercod]

We are all Minutemen in this war, just like in 1776.

Exactly. Now if we could only convince the federal government of that. They are making the situation much more dangerous by disarming law-abiding passengers. Perhaps even worse is that they are killing off the airlines.

What I propose is a free market in security. Let airline A run it's own security. Let them perform whatever screening and profiling they want, and let law-abiding passengers carry. Allow them to put video cameras anywhere they want in the cabin.

Airline B can disarm everybody and let the TSA drones perform all security.

Then let the flying public decide on which airline they want to fly.

[Gritty]

About half the pilots applying for the program were rejected in the initial screening process. No explanations for those rejections have been provided, making the entire system unaccountable.

As usual, almost everything coming out of the TSA is insane. Bush needs to get over there and clean house before another airplane attack. This is a real trojan horse.

I would bet Federal Air Marshalls aren't as highly screened as most commercial pilots - nor after they are hired, are half consequently turned down for their most important duty!

There is an agenda at work here, and it has nothing to do with aircraft security.

[leadpenny]

Thanks to you both. Gotta go make a buck.

[BlackbirdSST]

The Clintonistas in the TSA are fighting tooth and nail to make sure we can't prevent another 9-11.

So, Clintoon created and staffed the TSA? Wouldn't you consider that to be a bit of a stretch? Give credit/blame where it's due, this is a G W Bush monster, pure and simple. Blackbird.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[Dead Corpse]

Then let the flying public decide on which airline they want to fly.

"I, Pencil". Let the free market decide. Economic Darwinism. I would absolutely REFUSE to fly on an airline that restricted my Right to carry, if there were an airline available that welcomed my addition to their security. Heck, I'd even buy my own frangible "airplane safe" rounds should they so require it.

[LowCountryJoe]

What I propose is a free market in [passenger airline]security.

Have you wrote Senator Dole in order to propose your idea? What about contacting pundits like Water Williams, Thomas Sowell, or Bruce Bartlett? Believe it or not those three do read their e-mail and sometimes even respond either directly or in what they write in their columns. This would be a very worthy and viable subject to be debated in a larger, national forum.

[JETDRVR]

"The solution is to arm the passengers, not the pilots."

Hear hear! Works for me . IIRC didnt Archie Bunker say that???

[snopercod]

Good idea. I'll do that.

[AmericanVictory]

Whoops! It should be Transportation.

[AmericanVictory]

Whoops! It should be Transportation.