If the terrorist tries to overpower me and is intent on sacrificing the aircraft and all of it's passengers, I'll gladly accept any liability for shooting the bastard.
As to point #2, I'll reluctantly trust our govt to take care of the larger problem as is it's enumerated duty under the Constitution. Let me handle the immediate threat, to me, in an aircraft.
As to point #3, the pilot and co-pilot are there to fly the damm plane. That's what I want them concentrating on. If the passengers are armed, that's what the crew will be allowed to do.
You seem to think that us regular ol'e citizens are incapable of defending ourselves, and must rely on some form of law enforcement. That is total BS. It should be obvious by now that the govt is almost totally incapable of preventing anything. For decades I have relied on an incompetent govt to be an abject failure at doing anything until after the fact, and I say it's time to go back to what worked in the past. Each of us must be responsible and allowed to protect ourselves.
I would gladly wish sharks away. But that won't make them go away, nor the laws that they seek to enforce.
If the terrorist tries to overpower me and is intent on sacrificing the aircraft and all of it's passengers, I'll gladly accept any liability for shooting the bastard.
Trouble is, we still don't KNOW whether the hijacker is intent on wrecking the craft. The hijackers in Sept 11 lied and promised to land the craft safely.
No, if there is going to be a do-it-yourself firefight aboard an aircraft (probably just the passenger if the security system is worth a hoot, as it did screen out guns on Sept 11) the passenger had darn well be sure that the hijacker really means to crash the craft as the risk of breaching the hull is too great. That task I gladly and unashamedly would rather see assigned to sky marshals or at MOST passengers SPECIALLY licensed, trained, and tested. As for on the ground, I am with you as that there should be no gun restrictions whatsoever except for the insane or contemporary with punishment for a crime.
I want you to provide me with the list of menaces the government has caught before they could menace further. Then say what you said to me again with a straight face.
Some time ago, FReepers were complaining about a "Star Chamber" like system -- judges accountable to almost nobody, operating anonymously -- which the Federal Government has for anti terrorist actions. Maybe you were among the complainers! Now you know why such a system exists.