Should Pilots Be Required To Carry Firearms?

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forth, “Under the proposal, pilots would not be required to carry firearms. They would also have to undergo psychological testing and background checks, and extensive firearms training” (Stark). According to the article, the training and tests the pilots would have to undergo would be very demanding to ensure that they are capable of using a firearm. If the pilot successfully completes the training, then this would allow him or her to be deputized as a federal law enforcement officer. In a Wired article it adds:
“Currently pilots must have their weapons locked when carrying them to and from the cockpit and they cannot carry their weapons outside the cockpit such as during a visit to the lavatory.” (Paur)
By these pilots being restricted to …show more content…

Many pilots do not feel comfortable with having a weapon on board their aircraft during flight; however, this policy would not require pilots to have a weapon on board but merely an option. In Starks article, she utters, “Weapons would be optional. Under the proposal, pilots would not be required to carry firearms” (Stark). This is a good proposal since not all pilots feel comfortable with bearing a weapon on their flight. According to the articles, even if the pilot does not want to have a weapon on board the aircraft, he or she will still be put through the training and tests as a pilot who wants to conceal a weapon on board. In Price’s article, he declares, “All pilots are trained and deputized federal law enforcement officers” (Price). This idea is of great benefit for the pilot. Although a pilot may not feel comfortable with having a weapon during flight, if a prohibited item were to make it on board the aircraft by a passenger, a weapon for example, the pilot would be trained on how to properly use it if they were able to disarm the individual. One can conclude that with the events that have occurred in the past, something needs to be put into effect so that history does not repeat itself. When one considers the proposals put forth in the policy of …show more content…

Without a doubt change needs to occur; however, we cannot sit around and hope that someone speaks up we need to do it ourselves. We need to ensure that we are making our voices heard. It is up to each and every American to write their legislators write the FAA to inform them that although this policy is great, it is not enough. There should have been a policy of arming pilot’s years before the attacks on September 11th occurred and I blame you as well as myself. It should have been up to us to see that the security in the airports was not enough. It was our job to act before it was too late, but we can act now because tomorrow is too late. According to USA Today news article it expresses, “WASHINGTON— More than one in 10 of the nation's airline pilots are cleared to carry a handgun while flying, and the number will continue to grow, according to a Transportation Security Administration projection” (Frank). These statistics are not going to protect us from the inevitable attacks that are just waiting to happen. According to these statistics only 10% of the planes are actually being armed, leaving 90% of the flights vulnerable against any future attacks. It is time for us to now take a stand, now is the time that we must get off the sidelines and speak out. If we choose to not speak out, if we choose to be the bystander that does

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