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March 18, 2009
Obama Secretly Ends Program That Lets Pilots Carry Guns
Obama secretly ends program that lets pilots carry guns
After the September 11 attacks, commercial airline pilots were allowed to carry guns if they completed a federal-safety program. No longer would unarmed pilots be defenseless as remorseless hijackers seized control of aircraft and rammed them into buildings.
Now President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.
The Obama administration this past week diverted some $2 million from the pilot training program to hire more supervisory staff, who will engage in field inspections of pilots.
This looks like completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots. The 12,000 Federal Flight Deck Officers, the pilots who have been approved to carry guns, are reported to have the best behavior of any federal law enforcement agency.
Since Mr. Obama's election, pilots have told us that the approval process for letting pilots carry guns on planes slowed significantly. Last week the problem went from bad to worse. Federal Flight Deck Officers - the pilots who have been approved to carry guns - indicate that the approval process has stalled out.
Pilots cannot openly speak about the changing policies for fear of retaliation from the Transportation Security Administration. Pilots who act in any way that causes a “loss of confidence” in the armed pilot program risk criminal prosecution as well as their removal from the program. Despite these threats, pilots in the Federal Flight Deck Officers program have raised real concerns in multiple interviews.
Arming pilots after Sept. 11 was nothing new. Until the early 1960s, American commercial passenger pilots on any flight carrying U.S. mail were required to carry handguns. Indeed, U.S. pilots were still allowed to carry guns until as recently as 1987. There are no records that any of these pilots (either military or commercial) ever causing any significant problems.
Screening of airplane passengers is hardly perfect. While armed marshals are helpful, the program covers less than 3 percent of the flights out of Washington D.C.'s three airports and even fewer across the country. Sky marshals are costly and quit more often than other law-enforcement officers.
Armed pilots are a cost-effective backup layer of security. Terrorists can only enter the cockpit through one narrow entrance, and armed pilots have some time to prepare themselves as hijackers penetrate the strengthened cockpit doors. With pilots, we have people who are willing to take on the burden of protecting the planes for free. About 70 percent of the pilots at major American carriers have military backgrounds.
Frankly, as a matter of pure politics, we cannot understand what the administration is thinking. Nearly 40 House Democrats are in districts were the NRA is more popular than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. We can't find any independent poll in which the public is demanding that pilots disarm. Why does this move make sense?
Only anti-gun extremists and terrorist recruits are worried about armed pilots. So why is the Obama administration catering to this tiny lobby at the expense of public safety?
Wild Thing's comment............
Has Hussein Obama done anything that does not harm the country ? sheesh!
Terrorists are now celebrating and suffering an abundance of riches so they really don’t know what to do first. The Obama administration is the best thing that ever happened to them.
So Obama's deal is let's make it easy for the terrorists! Let these pilots be sitting ducks. No one should have guns to protect themselves or others!
Then should also completely disarm Air Force One. Obama is neutering our Country on a daily basis and getting away with it!
Posted by Wild Thing at March 18, 2009 05:47 AM
Comments
Then how do pilots defend themselves and their passengers? Hit them with the snack cart? And terrorists can get through that door into the cockpit. I swear, by year's end, Obama will have pushed this country into the ground. The goon squad will be everywhere and the military will be lacking and our children will be in harms way. It's almost like he wants to start a war with someone on our soil. Is he really that stupid? I guess he must be.
Posted by: Lynn at March 18, 2009 08:14 AM
There seems to be a pattern of "secret" transitions and encroachments on our freedom by this self proclaimed "transparent" administration.
Posted by: Bob A at March 18, 2009 08:23 AM
Increment by increment. Disarm America. If the citizens are disarmed, the military reduced and disenfranchised and the police are politicized, then Obama's civilian security cult can take over.
Marxism on the march!
Buy ammo!
Posted by: TomR at March 18, 2009 12:55 PM
Posted by: Jack at March 18, 2009 01:34 PM
This moron is inviting an attack. He doesn't have a friggin clue, yet he just goes on recinding all of Bush's executive orders. What a piece of crap.
Posted by: Mark at March 18, 2009 03:16 PM
Lynn, I agree, I bet the pilots are more then upset about this then they are letting on.
Bob A. , your right, he does a lot of things in secret and this AIG thing imo is a cover led by the dems and the media to get the attention off of Obama and these horrible things he is putting through.
Tom, that is exactly what it is Marxism on the march. I wish we could stop him but we are out numbered in both Houses. waaaaaa
Jack, LOL good ones.
Mark, he sure IS inviting attacks, the terrorists never had it so good as they do now. Open season on Americans.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 19, 2009 12:01 AM
