As for the pilots complaints about having armed agents on board who have to pass less strenuous tests than they is required of them, I agree with their complaint. From the standpoint of the federal gov't, this has nothing to with people flying armed who have passed strenous tests and background checks.
If it did, they would allow private citizens who could pass similar tests to fly armed.
Rather, it has everything to do with increasing the disparity between the almighty federal goverment and us lowly peasants.
i think everyone should be armed (or no one). if terrorists can infiltrate airlines why can't they infiltrate the marshall program? or maybe just a complete garden variety nutcase who becomes a marshall.
it wouldn't do anyone any good to have only one armed person on a plane if that person had ideas other than protecting the passengers.
granted a group of passengers could mob one person, but what if they got into the cockpit and locked the door? can marshalls enter the cockpit? i don't know, but i imagine they can do whatever they want.