Personally, I’d prefer to take my chances with a rapid decompression (which ain’t all that big a deal if the masks deploy and the guys up front can get it down to under 12K) than watch some madman take MY flight into a building or the ground at 500 mph. That was the final experience of 266 fellow humans on 9/11. I KNOW I – like they – won’t survive that!
And pay VERY close attention to the "solutions" being offered by those in government: They are NOT talking about REMOVING the limitations they have ALREADY placed on us as individuals to DEFEND OURSELVES. They are beginning to talk about FURTHER RESTRICTIONS on our liberties and MORE GOVERNMENT! More GOVERNMENT? The same GOVERNMENT that failed so miserably in its obligation to protect citizens that 3,000 of them died like cattle in a slaughterhouse on September 11th?
The same government – led by former BATF capo JOHN MAGAW! -- that now FIGHTS to keep pilots UNARMED because it -- ostensibly -- fears a few innocent passengers MIGHT be harmed -- but will order F-16s (often manned by OTHER commercial pilots serving as week-end warriors) to SHOOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT, KILLING ALL ABOARD
THAT GOVERNMENT??
Mindful of Voltaire's caveat that "It is dangerous to be RIGHT when the state is WRONG," I am compelled to offer that one has to actually be IN government for ANY OF THIS to make ANY sense.
It should be pointed out that even a few bullet holes in the pressurized skin is not going to cause a problem. Even at 30K+ feet, those engine compressors are putting out excess pressurization air. And, that's right, the flying pilot (hopefully not the one shooting terrorists) would instinctively be getting the airplane down to the lower altitudes.
Uh, really?
And here I've been thinking it was George W. Bush all along.
Silly me.