So …why is this such an extraordinary story? Think about it for a minute. Just what does a Postal Inspector do? Inspect mail fraud? Try to figure out which postal employees might be pilfering things from the mail? Track down neighborhood criminals who put "Will mow your lawn for $10.00" notices in federal controlled mailboxes? Face it, these guys aren't exactly Clancy material, but they're allowed to carry handguns on commercial airliners -- and the pilots can't? Some Postal Inspector on the way to Sioux Falls to arrest a postal employee who has been ripping centerfolds out of Penthouse magazines can carry a gun on the airplane --- but the man in the front left seat who is responsible for the safety of the flight cannot? Have we gone nuts?This has prompted me to try to gather a list of the various government employees who are permitted to carry firearms. It’s not a quick job, but we're working on it. Here are some tasty little facts. Smithsonian curators can carry guns. Airline pilots cannot. Agriculture Inspectors can carry guns. Airline pilots cannot. Some Park Service employees can carry guns. Airline pilots cannot.