[Torie]

I don't generally like union work stoppages, but I'm wholeheartedly behind this one.

I think they should be fired if they refuse to fly. Who elected them to make these policy decisions? They are 10 folks who would be eager to take the place of each of them, sans guns unless and until the public square deemed it prudent.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Who elected them to make these policy decisions?"

And who elected YOU God to make them be unarmed? People have the RIGHT to self defense, so what gives YOU the right to take that away? I'd strike, and give YOU the finger!

[caddie]

You don't get it, do you?

All your silly little Barney-Disney-PBS rules don't apply anymore.

This is way too important for silly liberal technicalities.

The towers are now rubble, and 7000 New Yorkers are dead, because of your infantile liberal world-view.

Grow up.

[Ditto]

I think they should be fired if they refuse to fly. Who elected them to make these policy decisions?

Someone probably made that same argument 80 years ago when construction workers wanted hard hats.

If they refused to fly because of a defect in an aircraft, would you fire them also? If I can't trust a pilot with a gun, why in the world would I trust him to fly the plane?

[Come get it]

I think they should be fired if they refuse to fly. Who elected them to make these policy decisions?

When we fly, we are entrusting our lives to the airline and the pilot. They can decide our fate, if they choose. If the pilot is to take responsibility for 200 lives, he better damn well have a means of protecting them.

You do not ask the police or the military to protect the citizens without giving them a means to do so.

[Alexandre]

Torie, nice to see you here! Looks like you agenda is Clintonian not only on Balkan issues.

You know, pilots in the air are responsible for people they carry. And damn, do not they have a right to take care about their own life?!

But... no wonder armed pilots will not fit in your agenda. No one must defend its land and people against terrorists, separatists, bandits and other bastards.

I also live in low crime suburb, but I never came to conclusion that it is bad thing to be able defend myself and my family. May be your neigbourhood is safe EXACTLY because there are some tought people around - and criminals know it quite well?

[Demosthenes]

Right-O, fire them. then the planes still don't fly. What a problem solver that was, huh?

They need to do whatever they can, and you should be helping them. They should allow pilots CCW, and the crew, and the passengers too. But NO, you'll never get them to let passengers, because WE WHO PUT THEM IN POWER INEVITABLY ELECT LEADERS WHO TELL US HOW STUPID AND IRRESPONSIBLE WE ARE!

Throw out every last Liar and cheat in Washington, and start over.

[A. Pole]

I think they should be fired if they refuse to fly.

Are you proposing also shooting down the planes which are flown by the armed pilots? Armed pilots are too dangerous for the terrorists.

[major-pelham]

Old friend, the last sanction they should suffer is firing. For once a collective bargaining organization pursues an initiative that inures to someone else's benefit, at last someone uses their power to stop the federal government from a power grab that neither creates additional security or addresses the problems that became apparent on September 11th. Bravo to the airline pilots, bravo.

[editor-surveyor]

"Who elected them to make these policy decisions?"

The passengers did, by about a 15 to 1 margin.

I've flown four times since the Sept. 11 total failure of all government policies concerning Airline security, and it has been the overwhelming consensus of the people that we have spoken to both on the ground, and in the air, that all pilots should be armed.

[537 Votes]

I think they should be fired if they refuse to fly. Who elected them to make these policy decisions?

They have a right not to fly in unsafe conditions. It's called freedom.

They are 10 folks who would be eager to take the place of each of them

Yeah, if you want 500-passenger 747s flown by 23-year-olds who earned their multi-engine commercial pilot ratings flying cargo on fifty-year-old prop planes.

until the public square deemed it prudent.

Right now, judging from ticket sales, the 'public square' doesn't deem it prudent to fly with unarmed pilots.