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Time to Arm Airline Passengers?
The American Thinker ^ | November 23, 2010 | The American Thinker

Posted on 11/23/2010 2:01:18 AM PST by Scanian

Edited on 11/23/2010 10:22:48 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]

As opposed to the increasingly absurd steps being taken to identify and keep weapons off commercial aircraft, it would be advisable and practical to identify and empower volunteer counter-terrorists among the passengers, initially at least on domestic flights or on international flights by domestic carriers. This could even extend to arming those passengers on the aircraft.


(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antiterror; banglist; jihadism; terrorism; volunteers
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1 posted on 11/23/2010 2:01:22 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

If I bring a gun on a plane will I still be able to have a few cocktails during the flight? I hope that right is not taken away.


2 posted on 11/23/2010 2:49:07 AM PST by BiggieLittle
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To: Scanian
NO!

There are too many issues surrounding decompression of the airplane, the appropriate type of round to employ and the training issues associated with shooting in such a confined space surrounded by bystanders.

Now if they would allow us to carry knives and tasers, that's a different story.

Although the issue surrounding armed people drinking would remain.

3 posted on 11/23/2010 2:58:04 AM PST by Abundy
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To: BiggieLittle

If you are armed. You should know better than to drink.


4 posted on 11/23/2010 2:59:11 AM PST by BigCinBigD (Northern flags in South winds flutter...)
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To: Abundy

I would carry one of those big Rambo knives. I would hang it from my belt. I’d look badazz.


5 posted on 11/23/2010 2:59:15 AM PST by BiggieLittle
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To: BigCinBigD

“If you are armed. You should know better than to drink.”

You put the glass up to your mouth and sip. You try not to let the ice cubes get in your mouth. Is there another way of doing it?


6 posted on 11/23/2010 3:01:22 AM PST by BiggieLittle
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To: Abundy

I think those issues could be worked out.

Anything is better than what they are trying to employ now.

I still maintain that the idea in the WH is to take down the airlines by running off their patrons. Object: bailout and nationalization.


7 posted on 11/23/2010 3:06:36 AM PST by Scanian
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To: BiggieLittle

Alcohol and firearms do not mix, ever.


8 posted on 11/23/2010 3:13:15 AM PST by BigCinBigD (Northern flags in South winds flutter...)
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To: BigCinBigD

“Alcohol and firearms do not mix, ever”

Wrong! They couldn’t have an agency named Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms then.


9 posted on 11/23/2010 3:15:35 AM PST by BiggieLittle
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There is an easy fix to all of this. Put an armed Federal Marshall on each and every flight. Post them up in first class near the cockpit. Have him patrol the aisles from time to time.

Would it cost more money for your tickets if the government did that? Sure. Maybe a dollar more per person, per flight, tops?

But then, it always comes down to money, doesn’t it? It’s far less expensive to just have someone groping old ladies and little kids, isn’t it?


10 posted on 11/23/2010 3:44:53 AM PST by ObamaMustGo2012 (Obama Must Go In 2012)
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To: Scanian

Air marshals on the Planes is the cheapest and best answer


11 posted on 11/23/2010 3:45:42 AM PST by The Wizard (Madam President is my President now and in the future)
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To: The Wizard

That was my first thought on 9-11...and we’ve had a lot of talk about it. But very little action.

I can’t see having them on many domestic flights though, can you?

Nor can I understand all the scanning and groping being done on domestic flights, which are spawning most of the complaints as far as I can tell. The terror attempts we’ve seen have come on international flights.


12 posted on 11/23/2010 3:51:41 AM PST by Scanian
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To: ObamaMustGo2012
There is an easy fix to all of this. Put an armed Federal Marshall on each and every flight. Post them up in first class near the cockpit. Have him patrol the aisles from time to time. Would it cost more money for your tickets if the government did that? Sure.

Here's a budget idea - train police officers - Sergent's and above - and let them fly free. Same with trained military officers.

When a flight doesn't have a 'freebe' on it, put the paid Federal Marshall on the plane. In addition, passengers who are willing to take defensive training to deal with terrorists and training to assist Federal Marshalls etc. will be given reduced ticket prices.

In short, allow citizens to be adult members of society rather than victims pushed around by TSA goons.

13 posted on 11/23/2010 3:54:48 AM PST by GOPJ ('Power abdicates only under the stress of counter-power." Martin Buber /a Tea-nami's coming..)
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To: Scanian
Sure, at $10 a drink. Look, you can beat your gums about this until you're blue in the face. You can post newswire stories ad infinitum. But you're not facing the real problem. The reason nazi TAS thugs and goons exist in the first place. Muslims.

Muslims don't have to bomb airliners. But they do it because it strikes fear and terror into innocent people and it is a spectacularly murderous way to put America into crisis. Let's face it. All they have to do is drive up to a terminal at O'Hare, jump out and blow themselves up inside while 1,000s wait in secuity check-lines killing far more than some airline disaster. And they may. But it's not their goal.

And stop calling them terrorists. They're MUSLIMS. They're CAIR. They're just down the block. And they're ALL dangerous. Their goal is world domination by eradicating INFIDELS. That's you and your family.

The TSA is just a symptom. The disease that kills is islam.

14 posted on 11/23/2010 4:09:35 AM PST by Doc Savage (Stay Thirsty My Friend!!)
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To: Scanian
civilians can have more practical benefit for air travel security than does groping septuagenarian nuns or toddlers.

I gotta get me some coffee. When I read that I was trying to picture septuagenarian toddlers.

15 posted on 11/23/2010 4:12:47 AM PST by Graybeard58
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To: GOPJ
In short, allow citizens to be adult members of society

This is my mantra for government as a whole

16 posted on 11/23/2010 4:13:33 AM PST by Puddleglum ("due to the record harvest, rationing will continue as usual")
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To: Doc Savage

Believe me, I’ve got a shelf full oof books about Islam, including a couple by men who were murdered for writing them: “23 Years,” “Islamic Jihad,” “Now they Call Me Infidel,” “Why I Am Not a Muslim,” etc., etc.

The sickest, most diabolical system known to man. But it is a world problem. The TSA is a national problem and is operating at Obama’s beheet for ulterior motives, I believe.

Why did they wait almost a year after the crotch bomber to start all the hasassment? Because SAFETY has nothing to do with it. I believe it is Zer0 and his boys reacting to an election disaster to show “the folks” that he’s still the boss. And if the airline industry can be bankrupted, nationalized, and bailed out in the process, all the better for them.

Islamic violence gives them the pretext and they are going to take full advantage, count on it.


17 posted on 11/23/2010 4:19:58 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian
All they really need is a big crowd. If multiple, simultaneous attacks (electronically-linked devices for a one goes/all go effect) happened in a busy airport amongst many people at different check-ins all held up in line by the TSA, the terrorists' goal would pretty much be achieved. Would the TSA then announce that they were setting up preliminary screenings outside the airports or at locations in the city away from the airport, the pre-screened passengers then bused to the airport? Then those sites would become the target. Would they set up pre-pre-screens against that? Before, you flew knowing there was a chance that someone could take the plane down. Now, if your risks included getting taken out at the airport and getting groped by agents of the government (anyone working by mandate of the government is an agent of the government), who would bother to subject themselves to that?
18 posted on 11/23/2010 4:27:14 AM PST by aruanan
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To: aruanan

If they don’t let up, airline business will drop off, terror attack or no terror attack. Bankruptcy will be discussed, then Zer0 will want to do a GM-Chrysler deal wiith them.

It’s all about power...as is everything the WH does.


19 posted on 11/23/2010 4:31:42 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian
The terror attempts we’ve seen have come on international flights.

With the not inconsiderable exception of all four 9/11 flights, of course.

20 posted on 11/23/2010 4:44:40 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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