– Pilots will not be allowed to have firearms

Gun Owners of America E-Mail/FAX Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

(Tuesday, May 21, 2002) — The Bush administration today slapped millions of Americans in the face when it announced that pilots would not be allowed to have guns in the cockpit.

Polls have shown that seven in ten Americans support arming pilots and that seventy-five percent of pilots support the idea as well. Further, a majority of Senators and Representatives have endorsed the concept, as evidenced by the fact that Congress passed legislation last year allowing pilots to carry guns.

But despite the tremendous support in this country for what is really a very simple idea, the Bush administration has said “no” to arming the pilots, and “yes” to relying on an F-16 fighter jet to shoot down the next commercial plane that gets hijacked by a terrorist.

Speaking for the administration, Transportation Undersecretary John Magaw (who was formerly the head of the BATF) said that pilots need to just focus on flying the plane. Of course, a pilot can’t fly the plane if someone is crashing through the cockpit door and slitting his throat. Pilots have admitted the cockpit door does not stay closed the entire flight as they must inevitably make use of the bathroom.

The President signed legislation last year allowing pilots to carry firearms for the defense of the cockpit. Obviously, there is need for much stronger legislation. Right now, there is a bill in Congress which would mandate that the administration put armed pilots in the air within 90 days.

In the House, Representatives Don Young (R-AK) and John Mica (R-FL) are the chief sponsors of this legislation (H.R. 4635). And Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) is expected to introduce a companion bill in the Senate sometime this week.

ACTION: Please urge your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 4635. You can call your Representative at 202-225-3121 or toll-free at 1-877-762-8762. To identify your Representative, as well as to send a message via e-mail, see the Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.

—– Pre-written message —–

Dear Representative:

Please cosponsor H.R. 4635. The Bush administration’s decision to prevent pilots from having guns in the cockpit is outrageous. The administration says that a pilot needs to just focus on flying the plane. But a pilot can’t fly the plane if someone is crashing through the cockpit door and slitting his throat!

Guns in the cockpit are a proven success. At least that’s the track record of Israel’s El Al airlines. After a spate of hijackings many years ago, El Al started arming its pilots and stewards. The result? Passengers can fly without the fear of being hijacked, and innocent bystanders aren’t getting shot.

Again, I hope you will cosponsor H.R. 4635. The Young-Mica bill will put armed pilots in the air within 90 days. This is an idea that is supported by more than 70 percent of airline pilots and the American public. Please let me know how you intend to act.

Sincerely,

—– Thank the cosponsors! —–

Twenty-three congressmen have cosponsored H.R. 4635:

Barr (R-GA)

Bartlett (R-MD)

Boozman (R-AR)

Buyer (R-IN)

Culberson (R-TX)

English (R-PA)

Goode (I-VA)

Hall (D-TX)

Hayes (R-NC)

Johnson (R-IL)

Kingston (R-GA)

LaTourette (R-OH)

Mascara (D-PA)

Mica (R-FL)

Rehberg (R-MT)

Sandlin (D-TX)

Schaffer (R-CO)

Shuster (R-PA)

Smith (R-NJ)

Stenholm (D-TX)

Tancredo (R-CO)

Thune (R-SD)

Tiahrt (R-KS)

From: Landis Aden, ASRPA – Legislative Division