Pilots and Guns... Is This A Good Idea?

Today’s Homeland Security blog covers a topic recently brought up by Rand Paul. Mr. Paul stated more pilots should have guns. Is this really a good idea? Will a gun held by a pilot truly defeat potential acts of terrorism?

According to Guns.com, “In the latest Presidential budget for 2015, the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program is seeing its funding slashed, which could endanger the program that has armed approved pilots since 2003. Among those upset is Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who is calling for increasing, not decreasing, the funds appropriated for arming pilots. “I’m concerned about what is the most cost-effective way of preventing another 9/11: I want all pilots to be armed,” said Paul to Sean Hannity recently.

Now, there is no proof FFDO actually stopped any acts of potential terrorism since there is really no controlled study to back up the data. I’m not convinced the slashes to the budget will result in a terrorist attack. In fact, there has been a terrorist attack in Boston and a security guard with a gun didn’t make a difference because the method wasn’t a one-on-one shooting scenario.

Again, these congressional arguments become an issue of sustainability in the planning phase more than a “did it work” scenario. We will never know for sure if FFDO made the impact it was set out to do because, luckily and thankfully, nothing happened. This brings me to my thought of the day – why do we continue, as a people and a government, to set up programs without the ability to sustain them? Isn’t this setting ourselves up for failure and continued red-tape?

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett