Copyright 2002 The Denver Post All Rights Reserved
The Denver Post
August 5, 2002 Monday 2D EDITION
SECTION: DENVER & THE WEST; Pg. B-07
LENGTH: 778 words
HEADLINE: Bill
to arm pilots makes sense
BYLINE: Sen. Craig Thomas, GUEST COMMENTARY, Cody, Wyo.,
BODY: Would you feel safer knowing that
an armed pilot is your last line of defense against terrorists taking
over a plane?
Or would you prefer to place your life in
the hands of an F-16 fighter pilot who is authorized to shoot down
your plane?
I, along with nearly 80 percent of the
American public, believe that arming pilots makes sense. After all,
in the new era in which we live, we must do everything we can to
ensure that terrorists fail.
While I had
initial concerns about arming pilots, I had a chance to review the
facts and realized that legislation to arm qualified pilots is
necessary if we are to adequately guard against future attacks.
Under new legislation before the Senate, pilots would
be eligible to volunteer for federal firearm training, with
the ultimate goal of pilots being certified to defend the cockpit
- not the cabin or airport facility, as opponents suggest.
Federal air marshals, reinforced cockpit doors and
federal baggage screeners provide vast improvements over pre-Sept.
11 security measures, but we need to do more. Only a fraction of
one percent of flights have marshals. Reinforced doors will slow
but not stop terrorists, and recently even simple tests of
screeners produced high failure rates.
Counterterrorism experts agree that firearms are the
best deterrent when it comes to cockpit security. Even though stun
guns have been widely discussed as an alternative to handguns,
they have a limited, one-shot capacity and are ineffective
against multiple attackers - not to mention that a stun-gun shot
can easily be neutralized by an attacker who uses a seat cushion
or thick clothing during a cockpit breach.
Most Americans would be surprised to learn that, from the
1920s to the early '60s, pilots were required to carry handguns on
their aircraft to protect First Class mail. Thereafter, pilots
were routinely armed until 1987.
During the
nearly seven decades that pilots were authorized to carry firearms,
there was never a documented incident of firearm misuse, despite
there being no federal training requirements.
The
legislation before the Senate specifically calls for firearm training
before a pilot is certified to posses a firearm in the cockpit.
Certainly, in today's heightened security conditions, it makes
perfect sense to arm pilots again.
America's pilots are
professional, qualified and well-educated individuals. Since last
September, all the pilot associations have asked Congress to grant
them the authority to be trained in cockpit defense. Keep in mind
that 70 percent of today's pilots have had prior military
training.
If we entrust our lives to the pilots and
crew each time we board an aircraft, why wouldn't we allow them to
defend the cockpit from attack?
For years,
research has shown that concealed-handgun laws reduce crime. Take the
noted research by John Lott and William Landes, who noted that 'the
only policy factor to have a consistently significant influence on
multiple-victim public shootings is the passage of concealed handgun
laws.' Since concealed-carry laws reduce the chance of multiple
victim public shootings, I believe arming qualified pilots would also
deter terrorist hijackers.
America has by
far the safest commercial aviation system in the world. However,
industry experts have said that another hijacking would seriously
compromise public confidence in air travel. Unfortunately, Senate
Majority Leader Tom Daschle has held this bill hostage and refused to
consider this legislation on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Even many of Daschle's Democratic colleagues - including
John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, Barbara Boxer of California,
Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Zell Miller of Georgia, Max Baucus of
Montana and Tim Johnson of South Dakota - have signed on as
co-sponsors of this bill. In fact, in early July, the House of
Representatives passed similar legislation by a vote of 310-113.
Passenger confidence would be boosted under
this legislation. The mere possibility of qualified pilots being
armed would provide an immeasurable deterrence to future attacks.
This is why I have set aside my initial concerns and have chosen
to co-sponsor this forward-thinking, bipartisan piece
of homeland-security legislation.
If the
Senate is to pass S. 2554, additional cosponsors are needed as a show
of support for this added layer of airline security.
Sen. Craig Thomas, a Republican, is the senior senator
from Wyoming and served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Document 26 of 142. 