Senator Tells TSA: Arm Pilots or Lose Funding

Cybercast News Service. ^ | April 02, 2004 | Robert B. Bluey

[neverdem]

LOL

[an amused spectator]

I'm curious about whether airlines have changed their official policy of "accommodate, negotiate and do not escalate" with hijackers.

[VRWCmember]

One pilot and one co-pilot armed with .45 ACP semi-auto handguns would probably have easily defeated five islamofascist terrorists armed with box-cutters. But, yeah arming pilots is a stupid idea.

I hope nobody ever puts you in charge of security anywhere.

[dpwiener]

This is the only time I've ever agreed with Boxer that I can remember. Will wonders ever cease?

Barbara Boxer can read the polls, and she knows that even within California her extreme anti-gun positions gain her nothing (since she's already got the liberal vote locked up) and just energize her opponents. So she's found an issue on which she can agree with the pro-gun folks and she's running with it.

It's a smart political move. And she deserves our applause on this narrow issue. After all, that's how we have to shift the political calculus for politicians. We have to make it politically undesirable for them to oppose the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and politically rewarding for them to support RKBA.

Given the right carrot-and-stick combination, we may be able to keep moving Boxer in our direction. She won't do so out of principles or conviction, but out of political expediency. That's still better than nothing. And she's going to be in the U.S. Senate for at least another six years, since Bill Jones has approximately zero chance of upsetting her.

[Jotmo]

Bump

[LonghornFreeper]

Yeah, but that would also hurt or kill dozens of passengers. Armed pilot only kills the terrorists. It isn't like he is needed to fly the plane except on landing and takeoff anyway.

[MindBender26]

We have a huge federal law enforcement training center near Savannah,GA, another just outside DC.

We have tens of thousands of pilots who are former military, current reserve LEOs, etc. A quick background check can be done in less than 72 hours... less than 10 minutes in an emergency.

The psyc checks? We already trust these men and women to fly 400 people and 400,000 pound guided missiles, what more is needed?

Lockbox. Why? If weapon is stolen, how long would it take any street perp to break into any locked box? If not stolen, what's the problem?

Idiocy. Typical government-organized, taxpayer-funded idiocy!

[Redcloak]

Boxer supported arming pilots back when the idea was first introduced. Not even the Gnome from the North could justify keeping pilots, and thus their passengers, defenseless after 9-11.

[tcuoohjohn]

Know what is better than a .45 ACP?..A hijacker who can't even get to the cockpit because he is hanging on for dear life and puking his guts out. As soon as he stops puking he will be in custody.

[Redcloak]

It's always a shock to think that there are Federal employees who find an American with a gun to be more threatening than an Islamist with a bomb.

[zbigreddogz]

There is: she's up for reelection in a state that just gave 63% of it's votes to Republicans in the Recall.

And she's against somebody who's won statewide twice before who has Gov. Arnold as a campaign tool.

[goldstategop]

She's my home state Senator... She has an anti-gun record as long as her arm but in an election year, it doesn't hurt to take on the bureaucrats. The TSA needs to be made to get the message and I don't care who gets the political credit for it as long as our nation's pilots are finally armed.

[tcuoohjohn]

Not if they are sitting down and strapped in. They are going to be terrified and puking their guts out right along with the would be hijackers and will curse the day the pilot was born. When they land they will bless him and praise his mother next to the Virgin Mary.

[tcuoohjohn]

I wasn't tried in any of the four flights. Against company policy to perform evasive maneuvers in Civilan aircraft. It might upset the passengers. It is not against company policy now. Current training modules include pos g and neg g cycles.

[dljordan]

Good thinking! Then the airlines could pay for all the lawsuits that would follow. The simple thing to do is head for the nearest auxiliary airport and if they break into the cockpit shoot the sh*t out of them.

[freeeee]

It wasn't tried in any of the four flights.

You have no idea if it was even possible.

Against company policy to perform evasive maneuvers in Civilan aircraft.

That is absolutely hilarious! You really think they gave a damn about that?!

It might upset the passengers.

Oh stop, my sides hurt from laughing.

tcuoohjohn, allow me to educate you about something called 'the funnel of death'. Any time someone has to go through a small opening such as a door or window, they pass through this. During this time they are extremely vulnerable to being shot, in fact it's almost 100% probable if those on the other side know the assailants are coming which is a certainty in a hijacking.

The beauty of the 'funnel of death' is the person doing the shooting doesn't need be a trained marksman. Anyone with even average eye/hand coordination (pilots) can do it with only enough training to be proficient with their weapon.

What does this all mean? It means that NO ONE is going to survive charging a cockpit containing an armed pilot.

Do you know what happens now if an airliner is hijacked? It is blown from the sky by our own military, killing everyone on board. Now you tell me, what damage can a handgun to that an air to air missile can't?

tcuoohjohn, whether you know it or not you most certainly favor armed pilots taking out hijacked airliners, only the ones you like look like this...

[Mr. Jeeves]

"To have an agency that is unelected, that is sitting on legislation like this and not doing it is absolutely wrong," Boxer said. "In essence, TSA is turning its back on a law that is the law of the land."

Which doesn't bother her a bit when the EPA or the FDA or the IRS do it.

[Robert_Paulson2]

OR maybe,
she's afraid of going down in a flaming wreck...

those burning corpses yesterday in fallujah serve to remind the reticent what mentality we are up against.

btw... discharging a 357 in an airplane won't wreck the plane.
it's just clattertrap for the anti gunners.

they are afraid that americans will once again discover... an armed to the TEETH citizenry of committed Americans, is the best security money CANNOT buy.

an army of 100 million armed patriots... would go a long way to "pacify" would be terrorists, theifs, robbers and criminals in general.

[Robert_Paulson2]

roflmao... nice er...
shot.

[cynicom]

Yous meds need updating john.