Because with a projectile weapon you can easily depressurize the aircraft. No one should have a gun or bomb on board. That includes the pilots and the unneeded air marshals.
However, after that just about anything can be a weapon. The sharp edge of your pop can, the flashlights and fire extinguishers, a bit of metal broken off a seat, you name it. It does not take McGuyver to fashion weapons out of things found on board the aircraft. Meanwhile, we harass, strip-search, and gate-rape our citizens for bringing "weapons" on board that are really just tools they need at their destination.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Plato90s:
We know that you feel strongly about searches, Spiff, but that shouldn't prevent you from seeing that preventing weapons from going on board airplanes is a good goal. We merely disagree with how to achieve it.
On the ground, you can reasonably expect assistance from police officers as well as medical assistance. Both are not true in an aircraft.
If you think it's okay to carry something on board an aircraft just because it's okay to carry it on the ground, why not a concealed firearm? Want a Texan [state with most concealed firearms permits] to get on your plane with a gun?</font>
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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry