Counterpoint

Firearms not best solution
by Chris Taylor, reporter

    Security is the biggest issue in post-Sept. 11 America.

    One of the hottest topics is whether to arm pilots so they can fend off any would-be terrorists.

    Most pilots do not want to carry guns, but there are a few pilots who served in the military that think it is a splendid idea.

    Arming pilots is not a good idea at all. The answer to every problem in the world is not a gun or the threat of force.

    First, there is a problem with pilots being qualified to carry a gun in the first place. If we are going to allow pilots to be armed, shouldnÕt we make sure that these pilots aren't the type to, say, have a few drinks before the flight and show up to work legally intoxicated?

    This situation has already happened twice, and those are just the incidents where the pilots were caught. How many get away with it? How many go unreported?

    Just because a person wears a uniform, be it a pilot's, police officer's or military uniform, does not mean he or she is a good person.

    Do we really want to arm someone who might abuse the power?

    A common thought in our society is that the majority of people are just plain bad and selfish and will do whatever they please to get what they want. If that's true, then logic says we are pulling our pilots, police and military out of this same contaminated pool of people.

    That action is a recipe for disaster.

    Second, in the event of a hijacking, do we really need innocent civilians endangered by a Wild West shoot-out at 30,000 feet in the air?

    Sure the pilots would be armed to save the passengers, but how much collateral damage is acceptable?

    Another problem with this idea is that we seem to be creating a separate class of people. We are allowing only certain people to have guns when, constitutionally, we all have that right.

    Often, those who are armed will intimidate and abuse that power.

    We have all seen headlines and news clips about police and their poor behavior. How much of that behavior is because they have the gun and the other person doesn't?

    There has already been one instance where an Air Marshal has kept his gun trained on civilian passengers because they would not obey his commands. Is this what we need, more armed government bullies?

    If we are going to make things fair, why not let everyone carry guns? Why not let passengers carry guns on the plane along with the pilots?

    Then everyone would be on equal ground. Armed passengers could certainly have overpowered a handful of terrorists.

    But, wait; we regular people can't be trusted with guns. What makes all the other people who carry guns any more trustworthy?

    The answer to that is nothing. They tell us they are, and since they have the guns, we have to believe them.

    So do we make things better or make them worse?

    That's really what this whole debate is about.