We have been
amBushed
again! Once again, President Bush has decided to betray his
constituents. Despite the fact that it was the gun rights issue that
made the difference in the 2000 presidential election, Bush told
airline pilots this week they could not carry side arms in the
cockpits. So much for Bush’s “commitment”
to the Second Amendment.
Outside law
enforcement officers, no group of Americans is more qualified to carry
personal firearms than airline pilots. The vast majority of commercial
pilots came out of the U.S. Armed Forces. Many of them are combat
veterans. They have received some of the most rigorous training any
group of people could ever receive. Many (if not most) of them at one
time or another have been awarded “expert”
classification for their handgun proficiency.
Furthermore,
airline
pilots are among the most highly regulated and most intensely
scrutinized people in the country. After all, hundreds of thousands of
Americans trust these pilots with their lives and the lives of their
loved ones (both in the air and on the ground) every single day.
In spite of the
fact
that airline pilots are among the most trusted and capable people in
the nation and in spite of the fact that they are already responsible
for the safety of thousands of people, George W. Bush does not trust
them to carry pistols into the cockpits. Instead, in the event of
another hijacking, Bush would scramble a fighter jet to shoot down the
commercial plane.
However, before
we
start using U.S. military fighters to shoot down American commercial
airliners, let’s try this solution: divide the entire airline
industry into two groups. One group consists of armed airline pilots.
The other group consists of unarmed pilots. Then, let the flying public
choose the flights they prefer. No, that wouldn’t work
because people would not be depending upon the federal government for
their safety.
It should be
obvious
to everyone that the issue is not public safety; it is government
control! Bush suffers from the same disease that infects most in
Washington, D.C. He has succumbed to the fallacious belief that only
government should be allowed to protect and defend people. If these
pilots were all federal employees, they would be required to carry
firearms. After all, even entry-level federal guards are allowed (even
required) to carry firearms when guarding federal buildings. In like
fashion, federal marshals are allowed to carry guns on airliners, but
civilian pilots are not. The facts speak for themselves: our government
leaders (including President Bush) do not trust the American people (no
matter who they are) to defend themselves.
Unfortunately,
many
so-called pro-gun groups (such as the N.R.A.) continue to give cover
for Bush and refuse to take him to task for this despotic decision.
Like most conservative organizations, the N.R.A. refuses to hold this
Republican favored son accountable to the same principles of freedom
that they hold Democrats to. Therefore, in the end, more liberties are
lost and more lives are put at risk.
© Chuck Baldwin Live
commentaries may not be reprinted or republished without
permission. All Rights Reserved.
Chuck
Baldwin
is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.
In 1985 the church was recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its
unusual growth and influence.
Dr.
Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk
show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck
Baldwin Live" This is a daily,
one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin addresses current event
topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Pastor Baldwin
writes weekly articles on the internet http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com
and newspapers.
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