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Passengers remain a plane's last line of defense against hijackers
Detroit News ^ | 9/28/01 | Kingsley Browne

Posted on 09/28/2001 9:33:53 AM PDT by jimkress

Edited on 05/25/2004 3:02:58 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

It has become a truism that everything changed with the terrorist attack on Sept. 11. Nonetheless, some things have remained constant, and one of them is the fact that we, as individuals, are the ultimate guarantors of our own safety.


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


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
BRAVO!

Excellent article. Professor Kingsley Browne is exactly correct when he states:

"The government cannot have armed agents everywhere, nor would we want it to. We must understand that a society whose members give up their willingness to fight for themselves is at the mercy of those who would use force for evil ends."

We are personally responsible for our own safety. It is our duty to protect our lives and the lives of our fellow citizens.

It's sad that so many of our citizens have forgotten this fact.

1 posted on 09/28/2001 9:33:53 AM PDT by jimkress
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To: jimkress
Seems like that headline should read ...

"UNARMED passengers remain a plane's last line of defense against ARMED hijackers"

2 posted on 09/28/2001 9:56:43 AM PDT by Riffraff
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To: Riffraff
Been hearing some interesting counter-terrorism weapons which could be carried on board by passengers discussed by my little old grannie friends. Among them, a brick with a crocheted cover, and several golf balls or a bag of golf balls in a pretty bag. All the grannies are learning to pitch. :O)
3 posted on 09/28/2001 10:00:28 AM PDT by holyscroller
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To: Riffraff
IMO airlines should create a new set of seats between the first class seats and the cockpit. It would be reserved for hockey and rugby players. Drinks would be free.
4 posted on 09/28/2001 10:04:14 AM PDT by alaskanfan
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To: jimkress

. . . "In almost all cases, hijackers will be substantially outnumbered by passengers and crew" . . .

Logic: With all of this being said . . . if you plan an attempt to hijack an airliner now, a key element in your plan would require the immediate killing of all the passengers and crew before they knew of the hijack situation for obvious reasons. My guess it wouldn't be too difficult to tamper with the air supply and kill everyone on the plane using gas of some kind. I hope this never happens, but have given it some thought after September 11.

FReegards . . .


5 posted on 09/28/2001 10:07:57 AM PDT by gatorman
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To: Riffraff
There was good posting yesterday of an email sent by a pilot to his union. He was urging that pilots and flight crew be instructed to immediately KILL all subdued hijackers to eliminate the threat of them continuing to resist.

(Stabbing with ball point pens, bludgeoning with extinguishers, smashing/chopping with the fire ax, etc..)

6 posted on 09/28/2001 10:08:13 AM PDT by Bill Rice
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To: jimkress
It is time for a nationwide public-education campaign advising citizens that they should physically resist hijackers. Not every individual on a plane will be suited either temperamentally or physically to engage in such resistance. But if enough are perceived as willing to do so, hijacking will become too high risk an endeavor. The cost of a series of public-service announcements urging forcible resistance is trifling compared with the benefit it may yield. An ethic of passenger resistance, coupled with other security measures, would substantially increase airline safety.

I hope they dont make proof of a completed self defense course as a requirment for buying a ticket

I will carry a very heavy purse and would advise other women to do the same.. The expression "I will hit him with my purse" will take on new meaning

7 posted on 09/28/2001 10:10:23 AM PDT by RnMomof7
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To: Bill Rice
Here is the link to the thread.
8 posted on 09/28/2001 10:13:33 AM PDT by SLB
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To: alaskanfan
I like the idea of turning all the seats around to face the rear of the plane, and creating a racial profiling section in the tail end. Members of the terrorist ethnic group du jour would be seated in that section only. In order for them to take over the plane, they have to run the gauntlet. :)
9 posted on 09/28/2001 10:18:15 AM PDT by Critter
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To: jimkress
It is this kind of thinking that has led me to believe that larger, stronger men MUST have access to the isle seats!
10 posted on 09/28/2001 10:20:09 AM PDT by joathome
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To: jimkress
Professor Browne's advice suffers from the fatal flaw of not requiring any government regulation or spending. The sheep have spoken.
11 posted on 09/28/2001 10:39:19 AM PDT by SteamshipTime
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