Friday, March 28, 2008

Pilot's Gunshot Raises Safety Questions

When a US Airways pilot's pistol went off accidentally in the cockpit last week, it raised new concerns about public safety on airlines—and elsewhere.

Beyond careless pilots, USA Today points out that gun accidents are inevitable. On an airliner, of course, a gun accident could cause a catastrophe.

More commonly, mishandled guns kill and wound thousands of citizens every year. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, there were 789 "unintentional firearm" deaths in the U.S. and a whooping 15,388 firearm injuries in the U.S., more than five for every 100,000 citizens.

USA Today concludes its airline gun editorial with this point: "[T]his much is clear: Guns in holsters don't just go off by themselves. Something went very wrong on US Airways 1536, and the flying public deserves an explanation.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have a simple solution for this problem. At check-in, passengers and crew would exchange their personal sidearm for a special Airguard pistol for the duration of the flight.

This gun is designed not to be capable of penetrating the fuselage, but would allow a passenger to return fire should the need arise. That way, all passengers will experience a greater feeling of security and their precious Second Amendment rights will be upheld. An armed society is a polite society. Pass the pretzels, PLEASE.