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If they did want to prevent terrorism, the simple step of allowing pilots to pack heat would alleviate most hijacking fears. God forbid that an airline pilot have a pistol.

God forbid, too, that a wayward shot from a pilot could puncture a hole in the fuselage ceiling. My stepfather pointed that out in a conversation on this topic the other night.

foreverfree

"God forbid, too, that a wayward shot from a pilot could puncture a hole in the fuselage ceiling"

I must not have paying any attention, but tell me again how many crashes have been caused, how many lives have been lost, and how many buildings have been leveled as a result of a wayward shot? And we are at war in which nation because of a wayward shot?

God forbid, too, that a wayward shot from a pilot could puncture a hole in the fuselage ceiling.

True. But when would this happen? Only when a pilot draws a gun. When would the pilot draw his gun?

When the plane is in danger of being hijacked!

So, is it better to let the plane be hijacked (and used as a guided missile) than to risk the one-in-a-thousand chance of a wayward shot puncturing the ceiling and bringing the plane down? But if the hijacker is planning to bring the plane down anyway, into a building, then what is the down side of having it crash at a random place - probably unpopulated - anyway?

I just don't understand the obstinate objections to letting pilots carry guns. The logic and scare stories just don't hold up and it seems like grasping at straws to me. What can I say.