<font size=3D2 face=3Darial>You have been sent this message from= David Ross<br>(damiross@attbi=2Ecom) as a courtesy of= WorldNetDaily=2Ecom (<a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom";>http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom= </a>)=2E<br><br><br><br>To view the entire article, visit <a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D2= 7758">http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27= 758</a><br><br>Tuesday, May 28,= 2002<br>--------------------------------------------------------= ----------<br>Making the air safe for terrorists<br>By Joseph= Farah<br>-------------------------------------------------------= -----------<br><br><font size=3D1>Posted: May 28, 2002<br>1:00 a=2Em=2E= Eastern<br><br></font><P>Forgive me=2E For a little while, after= Sept=2E 11, I actually believed our government might respond to= the terrorist attacks with some common-sense, self-defense= measures and policies=2E <P>Boy, was I a dope=2E <P>Despite the fact that polls of even gun-control advocates show= 77 percent favor arming airline pilots to avoid hijackings, the= Bush administration refuses to heed the call=2E <P><a= href=3D"http://www=2Ewnd=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27647";>As= WorldNetDaily has reported</a>, the Federal Aviation= Administration put the final nail in the coffin of firearms in= the cockpit just two months before Sept=2E 11=2E In other words,= even while reports were circulating about the imminent threat= posed by al-Qaida to the safety of airliners nationwide, the= government was doing everything in its power to make the air= safe for terrorists=2E <P>Office of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has been= unequivocal in his objection to armed pilots ever since=2E= Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta has openly opposed the= idea=2E And, last week, John "No-Draw" Magaw, the former director= of President Clinton's scandal-plagued Bureau of Alcohol,= Tobacco and Firearms and now Transportation Security= Administration director, told the U=2ES=2E Senate the concept was= out of the question=2E <P>Imagine that=2E These high government officials =96 people who= wouldn't think of flying on an airplane themselves that was not= protected by armed guards =96 are deciding that airline pilots,= most of them military trained, can be trusted to fly a $20= million airplane, but not with a loaded gun on board=2E <P>But I've got good news for you=2E <P>This is one battle we can win=2E And, if we win this battle with= the ruling elite, who knows where it might lead=2E It might result= in the biggest outbreak of common sense since 1776=2E <P>Here's why we can win=2E <P>The pilots are with us=2E This is our ace in the hole=2E= Ultimately, if the government continues to flout the will of the= people and the will of the pilots, air travel could be= crippled=2E <P>There are rumblings =96 if ever so slight at this point =96 that= some pilots just might decide some day they won't fly without= the ability to protect themselves, their crew and their= passengers, not to mention innocent civilians on the ground=2E <P>I'm not advocating a strike=2E But just the hint of such an= action might be enough to get Congress off the dime=2E <A= HREF=3D"http://www=2Ewnd=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27729";>Legi= slation has been introduced in both houses not only to permit= guns in the cockpits of America's airliners, but to mandate= them</a>=2E <P>What will George Bush do if such a bill lands on his desk? <P>My bet is he will sign it in a heartbeat=2E So far, Bush has= listened to his top advisers on the issue=2E But his mother did= not raise any stupid politicians=2E Bush knows where the votes= are=2E If that bill makes it to the White House, it becomes law=2E <P>It's too bad we even have to fight over such a basic,= fundamental principle=2E It should be a non-issue=2E Ordinary= Americans should not be left defenseless while Ridge, Mineta,= Magaw and Bush are surrounded by armed guards at all times =96 on= land, sea and in the air=2E <P>But maybe it's better if we view this as an opportunity to= slap these arrogant politicians down, hand them a stunning= political defeat and let them know we're entering a new age of= accountability=2E <P>Viewed that way, this might not be a waste of time, energy and= resources=2E Instead, it could be the next shot heard 'round the= world=2E <P>Maybe once we convince the political class we're not going to= be left defenseless in the skies, we let them know we won't be= left defenseless on the ground, either=2E Maybe it will be time to= roll back all those unconstitutional federal restrictions on= possession of firearms that have been passed in recent years=2E <P>Maybe, after that, we let them know we won't be left= defenseless by their open-borders policies=2E <P>Maybe, after that, we let them know it's time to start= rebuilding a civil-defense infrastructure in this country= again=2E <P>And, maybe =96 just maybe =96 after that the political momentum= will have shifted toward the common-sense will of the American= people that we can take back our country from these fools once= and for all=2E <P><HR NOSHADE SIZE=3D1 WIDTH=3D16%> <P><B>RELATED OFFER:</B> The June edition of WND's acclaimed= monthly magazine, Whistleblower, focuses entirely on "Shattering the= Myths of the Middle East=2E" <P>For a limited time, new Whistleblower subscribers will receive= =96 FREE =96 the celebrated book, "Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in= Palestine=2E" This classic primer on the Mideast (which normally= sells for $19=2E99 at WorldNetDaily's online store) is considered= one of the best-written and most accurate histories of the= Arab-Israeli conflict=2E <P><A HREF=3D"http://www=2Eshopnetdaily=2Ecom/store/item=2Easp?DEPARTMENT_ID=3D18= &SUBDEPARTM ENT_ID=3D86&DROPSHIP_ID=3D0&ITEM_ID=3D108">Subscribe to Whistleblower= now and receive 12 monthly issues, beginning with June's special Mideast= issue and your FREE copy of "Battleground"</A> (while supplies= last)=2E<P><P>=A9 2002 </P><br><hr noshade size=3D"1" width=3D"16%= "><br><P><i><a href=3D"mailto:jfarah@worldnetdaily=2Ecom";>Joseph= Farah</a> is editor and chief executive officer of= WorldNetDaily=2Ecom and writes a daily column=2E Get an= autographed, first-edition copy of Joseph Farah's 1996 book,= "<a href=3D"http://www=2Eshopnetdaily=2Ecom/store/item=2Easp?ITEM_ID=3D74";>This= Land Is Our Land</A>," published by St=2E Martin's Press=2E </i></p><br><br>-------------------------------------------------= -----------------