Is It Time for a New "Concealed Carry" Category.........for Air Travel?

self | 09/11/01 | RightOnline

[RightOnline]

In light of today's horrific events, wherein a group of highly-trained, highly-motivated terrorists apparently armed with knives and/or box cutters hijacked no fewer than four civilian airliners, I'd like to offer a proposal for your consideration.

Is it time, in light of the state of our world today, for a new category of "concealed carry" licensing? Let's call it, for lack of better phraseology for the time being, CCW-ATQ (ATQ = "Air Travel Qualified").

What I envision is a category of armed citizens who are a subset of those with "CCW" licenses. They would undergo much additional training, akin to the training given to the "Air Marshals" whom we've all read about. They would undergo background checks, etc., much like individuals seeking higher security clearances.

Once certified, a citizen possessing a CCW-ATQ license would be approved to carry a weapon aboard a civilian airliner. The aircraft crew would be notified whether or not they had any CCW-ATQ certified passengers, but would NOT be given names or seating assignments (terrorists would know if such was provided to aircrews, thereby making such passengers easy targets..........nullifying much of their effectiveness).

I don't offer this suggestion lightly or flippantly, but as a proposal for protection of air travellers in American airspace. I cannot help but think that if such was allowed today, the hijackings just might not have been so successful.

[CWRWinger]

"...we fire more rds in a month than either a police officer or most in our army..."

Good point, good post.

I have seen statistics showing law enforcement as a whole kills ten times as many innocent bystanders than an armed citizen in a shoot out. It's very clear citizens are better shots.

[mtman]

Dont buy anything made by S&W! They were traitors before the bombings...Remember!

[meta]

Security through Freedom? (a call for ideas)

[MightyMouth]

YESSSSSSS!

[MightyMouth]

I'm not sure that I understand ... are you saying that the pilot, copilot and nav are all safely behind steel doors while the rest of us are out there like sitting sheep ... er ... ducks? I don't think this is better at all!

[Alberta's Child]

Since the hijackers can't take over the plane, there would be no reason for them to cause trouble among the passengers. If they did, however, the crew would be able to flood the compartment with gas and land the plane at the nearest airport.

[MightyMouth]

Well, I dunno. I wonder how long it would take the hijackers to figure out that they can get the oxygen masks down and clamp them on, or to carry little gas masks that look very much like duck calls. IF the plane is also upside down a couple of times during the trip to the nearest airport, that plan would work much better.

However, is this instead of allowing trained passengers to be armed? How many people would, then, die while the gas was flooding the passenger area?