[DBrow]

This makes a great deal of sense. Since nothing has happened, no hijacking or major disruptions, the presence of these armed slugs is not needed.

Disarm the pilots by killing funding to their training, eliminate the air marshals, next take he fancy detectors out of the security lines at airports.

What could go wrong, Congressman Duncan?

I've noticed more and more articles critical of the Air MArshal program, apparently trying to prepare public opinion for when they pull the plug. Next will come a series of high-profile "scandals" to call further attention to the program. In this article they mention a dozen or so problems out of the 4400 or so people in the program. hey, how many people in Congress have criminal records?

[pissant]

This guy needs to calm down. He sounds like an idiot.

[driftdiver]

I actually agree with him. Passengers have shown they will step in and take control of any situation if needed.

Pilots should have guns. Air marshals are easy to spot and any serious terrorist would take them out first.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm cool with defunding, tied to allowing passengers to lawfully carry.

/johnny

[DaGman]

About the only thing that the whole airport security thing has accomplished is create huge markets for security devices for airports. As with all things branded as “good for business”, the consumer has to put up with it.

[Iron Munro]

That's like Dodge City deciding they didn't need Marshal Wyatt Earp anymore because the crime and killing rate dropped way off.

[Cicero]

I’m inclined to agree with him. The government has done everything possible to disarm the pilots and copilots, making it almost impossible for any of them to qualify to carry a weapon. If they were actually permitted to be armed, which apparently few of them are, then fewer air marshals would be necessary.

The numbers cited here are pretty telling.

[Lockbar]

Congressman DUMMY!

[Cementjungle]

I wonder if this guy flies on commercial flights.

[OneWingedShark]

I’d replace it with laws allowing people with CCWs from point-of-origin or point-of-destination to carry on-board the aircraft... and allow all military personnel (retired, active duty, national guard, and honorable-discharge) to carry on-board as well.

Then we’d have far more than 4000 armed personnel on flights. (Besides, “enemies foreign and domestic” would include a terrorist act on a plane, wouldn’t it? If it DOESN’T then how legitimate would the National Guard shooting down a crop-duster dusting the Super Bowl be?)

[doc1019]

Considering that the Air Marshall program is one of the cheapest programs in the anti-terrorist program system and conceivably the best active deterrent … what’s the problem?

[pnh102]

What a fool. Kids who get vaccinations almost certainly never get the diseases for which they are vaccinated... let's stop that too!

Hmmm... cholera and dysentery aren't major problems in the USA either, we should stop garbage collection and sewer service too!

[Jeff Gordon]

Obviously, enough time has passed since 9/11 that we can now forget about it. Time heals all wounds but it also exposes all heels.

Congressman Duncan, you are an ass.

[mgstarr]

I just hope the Air Marshals are of a better quality than the DMV-types who work for TSA.

[adopt4Christ]

But if there has been little, if any, terroristic activity on airplanes since the marshals have been implemented, doesn’t logic and common sense tell us that they are doing their job (despite a few bad apples, like any industry)????

Just a thought....I’m in favor of letting them stay.

[Milton Miteybad]

The congressman, however, said arrest records show that air marshals do very little. Since 2001, the entire agency has averaged slightly over four arrests per year. That comes to about one a year per 1,000 employees and means the government is spending about $200 million per arrest, Duncan said.


While the air marshal program may not make many arrests, I would submit that this is because they act as an effective deterrent. The question everybody was asking on September 12, 2001 was, "Where were the air marshals? Why weren't there any air marshals on these flights?"


How very soon we forget.


This Duncan guy appears to be using raw sewage for brains. Somebody should send him a memo telling him that it's just not working for him.

[elkfersupper]

I haven't flown commercially since 1992, when things started to get really stupid, but I would again.

All that has to happen is that I would have to be allowed to carry my knife, my handgun and smoke.

If other passengers don't show up with their knives, handguns and smokes, they should be issued them at the gate and the unused items could be thrown in a bin upon deplaning.

This would save millions of dollars, untold aggravation and would make the air marshals and TSA employees unecessary.

[Trailerpark Badass]

$860 million a year is insane.

[mo]

We have a Second Ammendment...why not just allow anybody with a CC permit to pack aboard a plane?