Go on strike pilots! You need guns!!!

[TWA Dude]

FR8mastr:

I know what guns can do and I'm not saying that a gun in the cockpit is useless. I will say that when needed most the pilots probably won't even get the opportunity to use it.

I wouldn't expect terrorists to try to knock down the door. They can just cleverly wait untill it's opened for physiological reasons.

Guns in the cockpit as a deterent? Are homicide rates in Death Penalty states lower? Suicidal terrorists tend not to be deterred easily either. If there are numerous attackers on board willing to be shot they'll get their way eventually.

 

[FR8mastr]

As a matter of fact crime and murder rates are lower in states with concealed carry laws. If you don't believe me I can dig up the stats and list them for you. I will need some time though as I start a 4 day at 0530 tomorrow.

 

[TWA Dude]

FR8master:

That's okay, I trust you on the stats. But we weren't discussing street crime. And Islamic or other crazy terrorists aren't street thugs.

 

[FR8mastr]

TWA dude, no they are not street thugs, but they die just the same. They are there to make whatever statement they think they are making. If their chances of success are greatly reduced, like the street thug they will look for other targets. I have got to get some sleep, I look foward to debating you later in the week.

take care,

 

[Ty Webb]

TWA Dude:

Sorry, pal, but you are way off base here. If you are content to let screeners and the present procedures safeguard the lives of you, your passengers, and the future of our industry- great. The rest of us who have a more realistic outlook know better.

 

[flint4xx]

I'm more worried about surface to air missles, or machine gun fire from the ground after rotation or something like that. While we worry about another hijacking, they'll slip under our noses and do something different.

 

[350DRIVER]

Folks this is a pointless debate, fortunately for everyone who reasons "logically" and lives in reality the right choice was made by the Govt. As much as you hate to admit it, the majority has had their way regarding this issue and I am very pleased as many other people are with the outcome.

TWA Dude would you please enlighten me on how a would be terrorist is going to attack with a .45 slug in his head?

YOU are "assuming" that under ideal circumstances that the pilot will have the time not only to get his safety belt undone, get to the lock box, get the gun, load the gun, all in a matter of seconds-BUT.....Don't worry about it since this will never be an issue or debate since this is "dead" "over" "done deal"... IF you like guns so much possibly the FBI, police, or Secret Service may be the right career path for you to take.(just a thought)..OR if you are so anti-US gov't then possibly you should look into moving to Mexico or another country where this "gun" debate may still have a chance.(just a thought)...

Once again the flight deck is no place to have guns-Fortunately a few(maybee 1 or 2 people) in DC also agreed. Last time I had checked the pilots don't get extra pay to be security guards and play GI Joe at FL370. The problem is with the airport security and IF they do their jobs properly then that should be the end of the story and won't turn out to be an enroute problem or concern. YOU can continue to degrade,ridicule, and fault these "low" people as someone put it which is only a cop out- I am sure their are going to be many many more changes with the people who are your last line of defense.Time shall tell though-who knows...
I highly doubt that "now" any passenger would ever allow a potential cockpit intruder to make his way past the first class section after what has taken place not to mention (last time I checked)that their are "2" people up front and I am sure 1 of those 2 would deter/stop any attempt to take the aircraft over...All airlines have implemented some sort of "action plan" into effect just in case any attempt would ever happen again.- If my memory serves me correct an attempt had taken place a few months ago where a crash ax did some facial damage to someone who did disturb the flight crew.(by the way their was no gun up front for this first officer to use)- Plane landed without further incident. IF you research this you can look at many other positive outcomes like this one without a "magic" gun as part of the equation..


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[TWA Dude]

TWA Dude: Sorry, pal, but you are way off base here.

Does that mean you disagree with me?

If you are content to let screeners and the present procedures safeguard the lives of you, your passengers, and the future of our industry- great.

The screeners are practically irrelevant. The new Common Strategy II isn't. Am I content with it? Of course not. There's always room for improvement.

The rest of us who have a more realistic outlook know better.

Who exactly are "the rest of us"? The pro-NRA Republican Administration is against guns in the cockpit. How many Congressmen, Cabinet Secretaries or Bush Administration officials spoke out in favor of it?

 

[ShawnC]

The only proper way to deal with a terrorist is to allow the CIA to infiltrate the orginizations and deal with them before they have a chance to strike.

Anything else is just a way to deal with a problem that has already been set in motion.

 

[350DRIVER]

Sorry, pal, but you are way off base here. If you are content to let screeners and the present procedures safeguard the lives of you, your passengers, and the future of our industry- great. The rest of us who have a more realistic outlook know better.

The so-called "present" procedures are irrelevant due to the fact that their have been many changes regarding airport security, screeners. I agree with you that we have a long way to go and their is plenty of room for improvement BUT things will change and have changed for the better and once again the "correct" path was taken by the gov't in my opinion as well as many others. As for the "rest of us" as you put it - let me once again reiterate that I am in no way anti-guns or against them IF they would help a situation out and make it a "safer" environment which in this case I cannot see how a gun being on the flight deck would help at all. You are "assuming" without any knowledge or factual evidence of my beliefs and feelings regarding this.

I agree with Flint- IF this would ever be attempted again I am sure the would be hijackers would use a different way, different method- Don't think a gun is going to stop someone who is wrapped in explosives sitting in the back who decides to blow himself up. Although maybee you can explain how a gun would stop this attempt.....

I will never be "content" until all precautions have been taken, security procedures have been revamped and changed, risks have been "minimized", and we have more educated and highly trained screeners who are our last life line of defense. I do feel rather stongly however that we are going in the right direction and this is a much more logical way of tackling the problem than keeping a gun on the flight deck BUT once again this is a "dead" issue since the decision has already been made to prevent guns on the flight deck.

Once again you can continue to degrade and ridicule the screeners BUT you can also support them and ensure we are being protected and help the process out by standing behind these people who in "reality" are here for us NOT here to attempt to harm us. (just a thought)

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