Posted on 01/15/2004 7:29:05 AM PST by 69ConvertibleFirebird
It is amazing how much a pilot can do in a deadly situation, if he is willing to take responsibility for his actions.
How any citizen could simply sit back and be murdered today, without taking some action, is beyond my comprehension. It would never happen on any flight that I was on!
I would even use a dead body (even my own wife's if requried) as a shield, in an effort to kill that terrorist.
Lets Roll!
Congress, the senate, the courts, and, yes, the President. We've created such a HUGE bureaucracy that the president can't change the system by simply firing the head of any agency. One of my best friends is a division chief at one of the super-secret agencies. He's been through this many times. He says that the govies simply wait out the new appointment until he/she is gone. Usually three years max. It's easy for the low-levels to wait the new, gung-ho, top people out when you're on a cushie government salary with virtually no possibility of being fired. Worst case you get transfered and even that takes years.
The only solution is for the Senate and Congress to start appointing judges that follow the law and make agencies accountable (by use of the wallet).
To lay it soley at the presidents feet is too simplistic.
It is amazing how much a pilot can do in a deadly situation, if he is willing to take responsibility for his actions.
Now enter John Edwards, stage left, for multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit. The injured passengers vs. pilot/airline who decided to do stunt flying in his 707. I'm fine with a pilot rolling the plane. But, the lawyers will see it as the next feeding frenzy. Even people who had relatives killed in 9/11 sued (everyone but the people responsible).
Agreed. And even in the extremely unlikely event that doesn't happen, if the terrorists begin executing passengers one by one because the cockpit occupants won't open the door (as theorized in post #40), at that point the passengers will see they have nothing to lose and absolutely will charge the terrorists in a fearless, all or nothing fight to the death.
Arming the pilot is a win-win situation. When the scenerio of a terrorist attack is closely examined, it is clear nothing bad can come of arming pilots because there's nothing a handgun seized from the pilot by the terrorists can do that an air to air missile sent to shoot down the compromised plane can't do.
Their priorities ware spelled out in very simple language, that anyone could understand. Demand that they be held accountable for their actions.
Remember, President Bush can not create a single law. Only Congress has that power!
Maybe you can tell me why this won't work:
President to TSA head: "You have ____ weeks to effectively implement the armed pilots program, and stop blocking its effectiveness. Failure to do so to my satisfaction will result in your immediate removal from office, as well anyone and everyone under your command who also impedes this order."
Let's say the TSA head fails to obey his order and is removed. The next carefully screened TSA head comes into the Oval Office:
President to TSA head: "You have ____ weeks to effectively implement the armed pilots program, and stop blocking its effectiveness. Failure to do so to my satisfaction will result in your immediate removal from office as well anyone and everyone under your command who also impedes this order. If you think I'm kidding, I'd like you to think about why the last man to hold your position was removed."
It will work.
Re-read my previous post for 90% of the answer. Here is the rest. After TSA head #2 gets fired nobody in their right mind will accept that position. (now ex-head at next interview "Well, yes, I was fired after 4 weeks, but so what...") You have to go at these things with a 20 year plan, or more. Just as liberals slowly got us here we can't suddenly reverse it all. You have to do it small steps at a time. Otherwise you alarm the low level govies and they refuse to do it.
No possibility of being fired? He's the president, if he can't change that what can he do? Change that, fire these people! If half the Constitution and the Bill of Rights can be ignored and gutted during "wartime", then so can their stinking contracts!
Clean house! If the pres can't fire them, our government has all kinds of slimy ways to lean on citizens when they feel like it, IRS audits, paper violations that result in a 3am SWAT raid, etc... I'm not advocating any of those mind you, I'm just saying if they really wanted to implement this policy they could.
The reason they aren't implementing it is painfully obvious. The President (among others) doesn't want it implemented because he is hostile to gun rights. The public clammored for it, they went through the hollow motions to placate us, then did what they wanted anyway. How very, very Clintonesque! If that's the way the pres is going to be, then we as citizens need to do a little cleaning house of our own:
Voters to President: "You have until November 4 to effectively implement the armed pilots program, and stop blocking its effectiveness. Failure to do so to my satisfaction will result in your immediate removal from office."
Having first worked in private industry, with no government dealings, for many years I used to think the same thing as you. Then I worked closely with government agencies for many years. I know how the agencies operate. Except for outright theft, nobody in the government gets fired. Transfered, maybe. Fired, no. If the low-levels (engineers, paper pushers, secretaries, technicians, accountants, etc.) don't want to do it it won't happen. No matter how much the top people insist that it happen. This is reality. This is government job culture. You can say that it should be different all you want but that doesn't make it different.
Congress made a law. They're conspiring to breaking it. Throw the RICO act at them. That's a felony, and when they're arrested, give them the 'felon stop' treatment government just loves (guns pointed, pets shot, etc...) It's a terrible law, but since we're stuck with it maybe just for once it could do some good.
Use asset forfeiture on them (I loathe that one too). They're making money from breaking a law (they take paychecks and break Congress's directive to arm pilots). Seize their houses and cars without a trial. Take their cars too.
Sounds outragous doesn't it? It is. Happens to the 'little people' all the time. Point the exact same thing at government and all of a sudden its an outrage.
None of this will happen because the president doesn't want pilots armed.
Of course! No federal agency wants any program that demonstrates the effective use of a firearm as a means of defense or as a deterrent against personal attack or violence.
It is not in the interest of the feds to show the masses that guns are an effective tool against terror or oppressive government, that would be a direct attack on their monopoly of power, can't have the serfs thinking they can survive without the help of big brother.
If the feds thought that they could get away with it, they would ban and confiscate all firearms immediately.
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