Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns (Congress, weapons, March)
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Looks like instead of training pilots to carry guns and use them safely on airliners vulnerable to terrorist takeover, President Obama would rather spend the money on hiring bureaucrats to guard us against... the pilots.
EDITORIAL: Guns on a plane
Obama secretly ends program that let pilots carry guns
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings.
Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.
(Full text of the article can be read at the above URL)
[Mod edited for copyright]
Last edited by TnHilltopper; 03-18-2009 at 09:50 AM..
Reason: copyright
I understood that the Federal Air Marshall program made it unnecessary for pilots to carry weapons.
TSA | Transportation Security Administration | Office of Law Enforcement (http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/index.shtm - broken link)
Quote:
Federal Air Marshals serve as the primary law enforcement entity within TSA. We deploy on flights around the world and in the United States. While our primary mission of protecting air passengers and crew has not changed much over the years, Federal Air Marshals have an ever expanding role in homeland security and work closely with other law enforcement agencies to accomplish their mission. The men and women who make up the Federal Air Marshal Service are dedicated, well trained law enforcement professionals, each equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to keep our aviation system safe and secure.
I understood that the Federal Air Marshall program made it unnecessary for pilots to carry weapons.
The air marshall program only has the manpower to put bodies on a very small percentage of the flights in this country. The armed pilots program came about to provide a last means of defense to keep terrorists out of the cockpit, recognizing that air marshalls will be unlikely to be around when needed. It offers an increase in passenger safety, and actually could have prevented a 9/11 scenario, for about $750 per plane (the cost of a quality handgun).
I really doubt that there is much to this story. While Obama and many Dems in congress have a strong anti-gun and anti-self-defense record, I think it's unlikely they would deliberately risk American lives over some petty ideology. I may oppose many of their policies, but they are better than that.
Well, I never really knew how I thought about pilots carrying guns in the first place. Personally, I assumed their job was to fly the plane...leave it to air marshalls or I don't know...maybe train flight attendants?
Well, I never really knew how I thought about pilots carrying guns in the first place. Personally, I assumed their job was to fly the plane...leave it to air marshalls or I don't know...maybe train flight attendants?
I'm not sure armed flight attendants are the answer, the bad guys would know just who has firearms and who to target first. I think letting law enforcement carry would help, as would some program to "deputize" citizens with concealed carry permits.
There's also all those guys on guard towers with Remington's...
I guess "now we know" LOL
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