I have found the lively discussion on this Frequent Flyer Forum to be enjoyable. A good debate is one of the freedoms we enjoy as citizen's in this country.

It is alway's good to see what the "other side" is thinking. The plain truth is when the majority of Americans do not want the Air Marshal program, it will be gone. When I say "majority" that number would include the politicians who listen to their constituency, as well as Airline decision makers.

One of the statements I have read a couple of times from a few different members deals with a hi-jacking not ever happening again because the passenger's will rise up. Well thats a very good concept in the realm of a "theoretical" exercise. My question is in the real world, "Which of you is willing the first to be killed in the assault on the hi-jackers?" You do realize that although the hi-jackers may loose, several passengers will most likely be killed or seriously injured? We all like to think we would do the right thing, but when faced with the situation do you have skill, training, and mindset to jump into the fray and win? If you do, what are the odds you will be on the plane that gets hi-jacked, and do you really want to be the one to get dirty?

Hi-jackings have been with us for decades. I do not think they will go away. May be awhile before we see another attempt, but it will happen. It has already happened oversea's. Granted these were third world countries for the most part, but it does go to show that there are indeed people out there with the idea still in their head.

Some who have joined recently, like I have, decided to trade insult for insult. Some of it has been rather comical. Coming into a web forum where the discussion centers around disdain for government procedures and programs, such as the Air Marshal program is like a Street Narcotics Officer signing into a pro Marijuana website and going head to head. Not going to change anyone's mind, but that does not mean that those people represent the public as a whole, or that they are right in their opinions. But in their own world, in the confines of a web board they can be right as rain. Isnt technology great!