Dissent

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on our country and the hijacking of four different airplanes, there is discussion between Congress and the different airlines about what safety measures can be taken in order to ensure that this does not happen again. One of the ideas being talked about is allowing the pilots to carry handguns on the plane to protect themselves from hijackers. This would be a bad idea for several reasons.\nShould pilots, whose main objective is to fly a plane, really have a gun at their disposal? Its not a question of if the pilots would turn and use it on the passengers, but there is a reason only a select few individuals carry it for their job. They are quite dangerous and require training. Police officers and security guards should be the only ones allowed to carry firearms. \nSecondly, against a group of terrorists who know what they are doing, do you think one gun would make a difference? Most hijackers, including the ones responsible for the latest attacks. don't care about their lives. They would gladly have themselves killed if it meant their comrades could still succeed. If they take the plane by surprise, there is a good chance the pilots might not even have a chance to get their gun. This would make an already difficult situation even more so, and could prevent a passenger revolt from happening like the one that helped crash United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and save another building from being destroyed. \nIt's true that the events were horrible, and it is important for people to feel safe again about getting on a plane. But right now, putting guns in the hands of pilots is a step that should not be taken.