The Obama administration is taking steps quietly to shut down the program that qualifies commercial airline pilots to carry firearms in jetliner cockpits in order to ward off another 9/11-type attack.
The administration recently diverted $2 million from a program to train and certify pilots to carry firearms safely while on duty. Instead, it is using the money to hire additional field inspectors to help discipline pilots who step out of line, according to a report in Tuesday's Washington Times.
A Times editorial condemned the Obama administration's action, calling it completely unnecessary harassment of the pilots.
Since Obama took office, the approval process for certifying pilots to carry firearms has ground to a halt, the newspaper reports. Pilots are afraid to speak out about the behind-the-scenes maneuverings, for fear of retaliation, according to the newspaper. No cases have been reported in which pilots have brandished a weapon inappropriately or otherwise abused their eligibility to carry firearms.
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_airline_pilots/2009/03/18/193314.html?s=al&promo_code=7C69-1
Why doesn't just he completely disarm our military while he it at it. He is already trying to take the citizens right to bear arms away from us. He is making it so easy to completely leave us to the mercy of terrorists and let not forget Russia.
You opinion?
[question posted by whiteheather39]responses and comments:
I just now saw this. Here's the editorial referred to: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/17/guns-on-a-plane-obama-secretly-ends-program-that-l/ What else? Little by little our nation is being opened wide to terrorists. I'm just waiting for Obama to send the official invitation. Or maybe he already did. [peavey]
I hate to say "I told you so"; but, to everyone who voted for Obama - "I told you so." Both his record and his speeches indicated that he is against weapon ownership. As soon as he was elected there was a run on the gun shops with people buying weapons before it became impossible to do so in the future. Unfortunately, we are already starting to "reap" what the Obama supporters have "sown" and I fear it is going to keep getting worse. [speakeasy]
Actually, this is NOT the first step in his agenda against guns. The first step is a bill called the Blair Holt Bill - http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/blairholt.asp One of the many requirements for gun ownership under this bill is that the individual must undergo a physical and mental evaluation at a time of the GOVERNMENT's choosing. You can expect that the time and location of these evaluations will be made as difficult as possible for the individual who is applying and the requirements will be so stringent that almost no one will be able to "pass"; after all there must be something mentally wrong for a person to want to own a gun in the first place and if there is something mentally wrong with wanting to own a gun then you cannot pass the mental evaluation; right? The attack on arming airline pilots is Obama's SECOND attack on gun rights in less than 30 days in office! [speakeasy]
I heard about this on a talk radio program yesterday. The pilots can't speak out but a few wives here in Florida surely did! The pilots who previously took the training volunteered their time for this and, as the article indicated, both wives who called in also said that not one pilot in the program has ever so much as received a warning for inappropriate handling or use of his weapon. These pilots are our last line of defense and I am so against this! [spalladino]
I believe a large number of these pilots are also formal military so many are already qualified to carry firearms. I never understood why there was resistance to it in the first place. Once a terrorist gets into the cockpit it's all over. We NEED them armed as our last line of defense. [Taskr36]
It is totally outrageous. Why not just invite the terrorists to hijack whatever they want? It sounds very childish to me...he is pretty much saying he will take care of everything and there is no way he can. But as a gesture of good faith....Mr President would you be willing to disarm your secret service agents that protect you and your family? He is getting very unrealistic in his actions. [sumofalltears]
That is the dumbest thing i have heard. If anything pilots should have more guns to prevent 9/11 type things. [nate2991]
the Socialist agenda is the administration's number 1 priority. The sped everything through, that they have been wanted for years, hidden inside the stimulus bill. Some people have said that the whole economic meltdown was the work of George Sorose and the Chinese, so Obama could have leverage for his agenda. They keep blaming it all on Bush, when in fact they have been sitting on these things for years. The US took it's first step towards socialism, with some legislation built into the stimulus package, requiring doctors to only treat patients with government approved methods, or risk fines or loss of license. There is now talk of taking away the medical care of US soldiers. Obama has spent more money in 50 days more than the us government has EVER spent. At 60 days in, George Bush had a ahigher approval rating than Obama does now. They printed 1.5 trillion dollars today, which will cause a further meltdown and make the dollar worthless. Dodd WROTE the piece of legislation allowing AIG to have their bonuses, and is now screaming about it. Oh, and AIG gave DOdd 132,000 dollars. AIG gave Obama a bunch of money during the campaign. The house of cards is caving in. It is going to be a bumpy ride. I am not happy that Obama is spending away my kids' futures. [mandoliv]
I certainly agree with you. I am not happy that Obama is president. [whiteheather39]
No one at this site should be at all surprised non Obama supporters such as myself blogged for months about Obama love of illegals and terrorists. I blogged hard on this as well as Obama intended to strip our defense budget not by millions but billions of dollars if he get's elected. Obama a few weeks ago sent communicate to Russian in what was to be a secret communicate to the leader or the so called leader beings Putin is in control anyway someone in Russian leaked about the Obama communicate so it ended up not a secret after all,any way Obama was trying to make a deal with Russian saying he would ordered removed our missiles in Poland if Russian would help deter Iran nuclear ambitions,Russian laughed at Obama and snubbed their noses at him. I personally think Obama is a national joke and a disgrace to the United States and it is getting more embarrassing every passing day. Obama Muslim buddies murdered over 3,000 innocent Americans on Sept 11,2001 by high jacking our jet's and slamming them in to the world trade center and our Pentagon,Obama wants to disarm our pilots so his Muslim brother's can do it again,Obama supporters that will not believe that if they think about it what's the purpose in disarming our pilots,we first hand know what happened when our pilots had no protection,don't we? Obama's plan always has been disarm the American people on land,air or sea then they are simply sitting ducks waiting to be murdered by muslin radical terrorist in cold blood along with our children,they murder for their God who is not the God of the American people and Americans should have seen enough to know the terrorist serve a blood thirst God and they have no boundaries they raped and cut off the heads of their wife's and daughter's back to the truth they have no BOUNDARIES. No thanks Barack Hussein Obama we Americans will keep our guns and you keep your CHANGE!!! [kennyrose]
I am have also be against Obama since the first day he went on the campaign trail. You said "I personally think Obama is a national joke and a disgrace to the United States and it is getting more embarrassing every passing day." I agree with this sentiment 100% [whiteheather39]
I knew better than to trust this guy. That is all i will say on this subject. ...Next? [ihearttinytim]
At what point to the people who voted for this fraud admit they made a mistake? [sndcain36]
From what I see they will never admit they made a mistake. If someone made 'the biggest mistake of their life' then that is their problem but when they make the mistake of MY life then I will do all I can to correct it. [whiteheather39]
Good. There is absolutely no need for pilots to be armed. They are already secured behind security doors and the only useful thing that they can do with the guns is shoot themselves if they get hijacked. 9/11 was tragic, and the aftermath brought about a much needed review of air travel. However, there are already "sky marshals" on flights, and that and increased ground checks - which parts of the US and Europe are woefully inadequate in - should be enough. Frankly, if you want to guarantee an air disaster, fire a gun in a pressurised cabin. I don't see any relationship between disarming commercial pilots and the military and the quicker that gun laws get tightened the better. No country needs its citizens to bear arms with impunity. When the Amendment was attached to the Constitution the US was a very different place than today. A citizenry that is so terrified of itself that it doesn't feel safe unless armed is a very worrying society indeed. [p1kef1sh]
Thank you ParaTed. As brain dead moron that gives me hope and you make the case for not arming pilots far more eloquently than I ever could. Reducing yourself to the level of personal insult tells me all that I need to know about you. [p1kef1sh]
It sure didn't take long to forget why they are armed huh? Say what you want about Bush, but we weren't attacked again. Soon we will not be able to say that. [laglen]
I certainly hope not too soon. [whiteheather39]
I think this is the dumbest idea i have heard. Do we want another terrorist attack to happen and the pilots not being able to do anything about it? Come on think a little more about this idea. [dsumusicman]
Hello Heather, I've sincerely been pondering what possible, pragmatic or political 'advantage' there might be found in this action for the new administration. Other than 'paying' back the Brady lobby for its efforts in getting Obama elected I can find no other pragmatic reason. My guess is that this is purely ideological. Which means that this new adminstration is betting OUR LIVES that if we just 'play nice with the terrorists' that we really should be able to 'get along'. If somebody want to believe that violent terrorists are just 'misunderstood', then it is their prerogative. Though, when they start gambling the lives on innocent people on the veracity of their assertions, then they've stepped way over the boundary of decency. If authorized pilots trained and certified to carry, (as well as having to pass voluntary 'tests' relating to substance abuse and mental stability), then they earned the right to protect themselves and the passengers! Criminies, one of the few private citizens eligible for a pistol permit in NY state are certain security professionals who are charged to protect valuable commodities. Is there any more valuable commodity than our lives or the lives of our loved ones? [ladyluna]
Thank you excellent response. [whiteheather39]
Obama has one huge selling point he is not republican, anything else fades away. Bush begat obama, without bush you would not be having this discussion. The conservatives reap what they sew [ESKARENA1]
Have you ever, in your entire life, had an intelligent thought? [ParaTed2k]
The pioloets in the cockpit should be armed and I believe there should be tow randomly seated passengers that are armed and well qualified to use weapons on board. What is he trying to do by not allowing our airlines to be safe. If they start that cra* about disarming citizens there is gonna be a problem at my house as I refuse to give up my rights to keep arms in my home and carry one with me when I leave my house after 9pm or before 5am. I am sick of crack and meth head strolling the streets and running up to me for a dollar man cime on just give me a dollar. [muscles4me]
While I dislike all the checks and profiling at airports, I agree with allowing the pilot(or an armed guard) to have guns to protect the passengers. If not a gun, something like a stun gun. This not just to protect us from Islamic terrorists but wackos in our own country. [BlueGoblin]
You are so right! We certainly have our share of wackos. [whiteheather39]
Geez, I found out yesterday that Obama wants our soldiers who are injured in the line of duty to pay for their own medical bills. Now I find out about this! What is this man trying to do to our country? I think we are headed for a dictatorship instead of a democracy. Will he become another Hitler? I have nothing good to say about this man. [bmorehouse1]
Of course he wants to disarm them. He does not want them to rise up against him and get him out of office. He plans to disarm the rest of the American population (except for his minions and his private army) because he knows that so many are against his policies and that his eligibility is in question. I would not be surprised that the same terrorists he is supposed to be against are just celebrating now that he is president. Oh don't worry, he will probably disarm the military, those that are against him. [suspenseful]
Obama is scary! He is just inviting the terrorists to attack us again! How in the world did he even come close to being our President? I never would have thought someone like him would get the highest office in the country! He is so liberal and immoral! I pray that God will intervene and help our country! [Springlady]
I pray every night for God's will to done in the running of our country. In the hope that Obama will do that. [whiteheather39]
He's pussified, that's for sure. He thinks he can use his charm and speech training to ensure our safety. He will not stop until we are like Europe, where (at least in England where my aunt lives) NO GUNS FOR YOU! And once we are like Europe, there's no going back. We have to stop this Socialist revolution before they take our guns, our homes, our money, and our votes (by this, i mean canceling them out due to the illegals he wants to let in, so they can vote (D) It makes no difference to him if the guy is a pilot - he sees him as a threat. Because all his life, King Hussein has been told how bad guns are, and how anyone who has a gun is a crazy, right-wing fanatic, who aren't "smart" enough to "taaaaaaaalkk" their problems out. Also, he's too much of a coward to face any possible fallout with a terrorist country or organization IF the pilot had to shoot an attacker. Matter of fact, the attacker would win - because that's how sleazy lawyers are allowed to be in America. I guess when you're untouchable like King Obama, you don't need a gun. And I'll admit it, I don't need one either - I like to target practice.... but you know what, that gun makes me feel safe when I hear unusual noises in the night when my husband is working. [aero89]
I wonder what the welcome mat to the white house says 'terrorists welcome here'. Every time I hear something about this man, it is not something good. Take away medical benefits for disabled vets, disarm pilots, cut the military. Didn't the people who voted for him see this coming? Does he thing that doing these things will make the terrorists less angry? or even friendlier? What is wrong with him? [Debs_place]
cry Does President Obama want to be a pilot and fly planes unarmed after what has already happened? NOT! There is not one good healthy reason for this to this happen. Who wants to go up there unarmed? Are there any volunteers? Doubt it. This is just one more strike against us and more help for the terrorists. All these things you see, are the end times and guess who he is? I am not drinking that special koolaid either. Take no marks of the beast. [eaforeman6]
I rthink its ashame that he is tryingto do this does he want another 9/11 I have 3 phone nos. nto call and I am calling to morrow and complain about them trying to take our 2nd amentment from us!.Pm me if you want them [Lakota12]
*grumbles* Sigh. Dammit. [darkjedi]