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I, for one, have believed for years that pilots and flight crews should have the right to arm themselves for defense of their
passengers and their aircraft. The attacks on 9-11 have proven that this is an idea whose time has come.
The hijackers
were armed with box cutters and knives according to reports. Imagine the carnage that could have been prevented if only one
law-abiding person on each flight had carried a gun!
Now, in the wake of the attacks, the FAA is making it illegal
to carry knives onto airliners. For someone willing to sacrifice their life by crashing an airplane into a building, I don't
believe this new law will have any effect. Knife control will simply go further to disarm law-abiding flight crews and passengers
and render them helpless to further attacks.
If we cannot trust flight crews with weapons, who can we trust? If
they want to crash their plane, who will stop them regardless of whether they are armed or not.
Federal Sky Marhsals
should be placed on airliners. However, the cost for placing them on ALL airline flights may be prohibitive. Additionally,
one Sky Marshal versus five or six hijackers (with knives, bombs, or guns) is still not very good odds.
Under my
plan, flight crews (possibly passengers as well) would be allowed to carry weapons if they can qualify for their state's permit
to carry a concealed weapon. Laws should be passed to mandate that one state's permit is legal in all 50 states.
Additionally,
there is already talk of background checks for student pilots. It would be a simple matter to make sure that they are legal
to carry weapons as a part of this process. Pilot licenses could be restricted for those who do not pass the background check.
Flight crew member should receive special training. This training should deal with target shooting, negotiating
with hijackers, and emergency medical treatment. Weapons carried should also low velocity (such as 9mm) to minimize damage
to the aircraft and passengers.
Arming crews and passengers is a thoroughly American way to handle the hijacker threat.
The right to self-defense has been ingrained in our culture since our nation's birth. We should not give up that right when
we board an airplane.
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