Arming TSA ..good idea? Bad???

[dixiegrrrrl]

TSA union calls for arming some airport employees in wake of recent New Orleans airport attack
Breaking News dot com

[delrem]

1. Bad.

[pipoman]

2. Surprised some aren't already...

[NYC_SKP]

3. Unnecessary, others at airports are already armed.

Airports are not without armed agents and LEOs.

I don't know which TSA employees they feel need to be armed, or why, but I don't see a need for it.

[Xipe Totec]

4. The Tits Scrotum and Ass inspection brigade? No. I don't think so. Bad Idea. nt

[MADem]

5. Like they could shoot any better than the cop who shot the passenger and the TSA worker

during that very airport attack? Hell to the no!

Give them bolos, or maybe a big net.

[Jenoch]

11. You're kidding, right?

That sheriff's deputy probably saved the lice of that TSA agent. The TSA agent says so anyway. The LEO shot three times and hit the guy with the machete three times. She rea ted within just a couple of seconds and ended what could have been a horrific situation. What if tbe guy got to the rest of the akrport with the machete and hid bag of MOLOTOV COCKTAILS? By the way, nobody else was hit by the three gunshots. The female deputy did a fantastic job that day.

[MADem]

17. She shot a TSA agent, too. You're mistaken.

The T.S.A. officer who was hit by a bullet was being treated for wounds that were not considered life-threatening.

The idiot with the machete is dead. He was mentally ill.

You'd think someone would have kept their eyes open and noticed that a nut with a machete was entering the airport, well before he approached the entrance to the sterile area.

What good is airport surveillance if no one is looking?

Also, why is it so "impossible" for humans to develop a weapon that is effective and non-lethal?

I remain firm in my view that it is a shit idea to arm TSA. They are not the brightest bulbs on the tree on a good day, and if there's someone in a bad mood, that's a bad day. Leave it to the professionals, who--given the methodology they favor--will probably end up hitting innocent victims (as the LEO did one in this instance) but who will probably hit FEWER innocent victims than some nitwit with a TSA badge might.

[Jenoch]

18. I am not mistaken in anything I wrote in that post.

I never wrote that the TSA agent was not hit. I wrote that the TSA agent says the deputy saved her life. You were wrong when you wrote that another person other than the perp or the TSA agent were hit. I agree that TSA agents should not carry firearms.

There are all kinds of non-lethal weapons, but none of them are as effective as a firearm, especially in this situation. (I can tell you this, most LEO are more afraid of a perp with a blade within 21 feet than they are a perp with a handgun.)

[MADem]

19. Sorry, but you did write that "nobody else was hit" save "the guy with the machete."

Are these not your cut/pasted words?

The LEO shot three times and hit the guy with the machete three times. She rea ted within just a couple of seconds and ended what could have been a horrific situation. What if tbe guy got to the rest of the akrport with the machete and hid bag of MOLOTOV COCKTAILS? By the way, nobody else was hit by the three gunshots.

[Jenoch]

20. I guess I assumed you understood I was referring

to the passenger you mentioned getting hit. Of course I knew the TSA agent was hit, that's how I knew she credited the deputy with saving her life.

[MADem]

21. "The passenger" referred to the nutcase who was hit x3, and then killed.

He was going through security into a boarding concourse, he wasn't in the ticketing area.

[Jenoch]

22. Why would you refer to the perp as a 'passenger'?

That's just nuts.

[MADem]

23. Because you need a ticket to get into the sterile area. nt

[Jenoch]

24. You don't need a ticket

if you're nuts and walk up to security with a machete and a bag of molotov cocktails. Referring to somebody like that as a 'passenger' is shortsighted at best.

[MADem]

26. Most airports I know, by the time you get to where the TSA people are checking bags,

You've already shown a TICKET to a second tier screener and then you get in line for first-tier screening where they go through the x-ray business and the bag tossing and so forth. And it's at that point where he went wasp spray/chopchop wild.

He was posing as a passenger until he pulled the machete out.

[Jenoch]

28. I still don't know why anyone would refer to him

as a 'passenger' rather than perp, crazy man, machete swinging man, asshole or any number of adjectives or phrases that would be more appropriate than simply passenger, as if his behavior was no different than any of the ticket holders in the TSA screening area.

Have a good night.

[MADem]

29. By the same token, I can't understand why you'd aver that nobody was hit, when someone was, plainly,

hit--aside from that passenger with the machete who was shot dead.

[Jenoch]

30. I already explained that. The deouty saved that woman's life.

Meanwhile, you were mocking thae actions of that deputy.

[MADem]

31. No, you misstated. I quoted you, with bolding, too! And I wasn't "mocking" anything.

Just because I think TSA workers are not the brightest bulbs in general doesn't mean I was mocking that TSA worker who caught that bullet particularly. And I specifically said that TSA people shouldn't have guns because they would do a WORSE job than the police officer who only hit two people.

Give a gun to a TSA person and they'd shoot ten grannies, two kids and a cat in a cage with three bullets, over someone failing to remove their shoes before getting their Naked Picture taken.

It's--as someone else said--a BAD IDEA.

[Jenoch]

32. I read the story, as evidenced by my

stating the TSA agent thinks the deputy saved her life. I stand by my opinion.

Again, have a good night.

[MADem]

33. So the deputy saved her life. How nice! She also shot her! You said she didn't shoot anyone but the

fellow with the machete, and you erred in that statement. She DID shoot the TSA worker. That's all I am saying, not sure why you have to keep repeating what was printed in the paper as though it will make the TSA worker's wound suddenly heal like a Christmas miracle. "Opinion" has nothing to do with who took a bullet or bullets--I'm all about fact, here.

Fact: The deputy shot two people and killed one. The wounded one was a TSA worker/victim/bystander, the other person who was killed was a mentally ill fellow swinging a machete.

Opinion: TSA people don't need guns. It is a BAD idea to give them any, as most people in this thread have noted. Why? They'd shoot and kill more victims/bystanders than that cop did. They're dangerous enough with their wands and Naked Picture machines.

[Jenoch]

37. Why are you telling me the TSA should not be armed?

I have already posted that.

Why are you still misunderstanding my point? You said a passenger was shot. I thought you meant that a third person was hit. When I wrote that nobody else was hit, of course I meant nobody other than the TSA agent and the perp. Nobody with any common sense would refer to the perp as simy a 'passenger'.

Have a good night. (Since you do not seem to understand, that means I tire of this exchange and I will skip any response.)

[MADem]

38. Your words said that only the machete guy was hit. If you are now acknowledging that

you didn't mean that, we're fine and dandy.

[uppityperson]

34. The TSA agent must really love his parasites.

"That sheriff's deputy probably saved the lice of that TSA agent. "

However, are you saying TSA workers can shoot better than trained law enforcement?

[Jenoch]

36. Absolutely not

"However, are you saying TSA workers can shoot better than trained law enforcement?" that's why I am against the arming of TSA agents. In the situation in this thread, LEO responded quickly and took down the threat before there were too many injuries. The TSA has enough to worry about without adding weapons traing to the mix.

[tularetom]

6. Neither

It's an absolutely fucking horrible idea.

They're already on a power trip without it. Imagine how they're gonna treat us when they can flash a piece at us at will.

[Warpy]

7. They're asking for this because they're frightened

Fear is one of the dumbest things to use to decide anything.

The truth is that the guy was quickly shot by people in the terminal who are already armed and patrolling. We don't need crossfire from another agency in the area.

People in the area did exactly the right thing: when the trouble started, they hit the floor, giving the airport cops a clear shot at the perp.

[hughee99]

8. I think this has "bad idea" written all over it.

[Oktober]

9. The bottom of the security barrel...

I don't trust them with anything other than round tip scissors...

[Lurks Often]

10. Very Bad

Given my admitted limited experience with TSA, none of the TSA employees I saw gave me any confidence in their ability to catch someone who was serious about sneaking something on a plane. Giving them firearms, probably with minimal training, seems like a very bad idea to me.

[Takket]

12. horrible idea

#1: There are already police officers pretty much on patrol 24/7 at airports already and they are armed.

#2: you do NOT want to introduce anymore weapons into the environment then you already need. For every attack you stop, there are going to be many more accidental shootings, bystanders hit in the crossfire when everyone starts shooting at a perp, people grabbing a TSA weapon and using it against someone else, or at the VERY worst, even TSA agents who are compromised and slip their weapon to a passenger to be used to attack an aircraft. TSA is the last line of defense between people who want to kill and an aircraft. The more weapons you introduce into that environment, the more they are going to be used on the innocent.

[ileus]

13. It's never a bad idea to be armed.

TSA or civilian...

[Laffy Kat]

14. What could possibly go wrong? nt

[99Forever]

15. Oh hell no.

They are kidding, right?

[cwydro]

16. Terrible idea. nt

[Nye Bevan]

25. Bad. They are already officious jumped-up strutting wannabe-cops,

who get their enjoyment out of life by harrassing innocent travelers.

The last thing I want is for them to be waving guns around too.

[titaniumsalute]

27. Bad idea

There is ALWAYS a few Cops around each of the TSA areas. Not sure why they were not in a more ready position in NOLA, but let's leave the guns to the police. TSA agents don't always seem to be cooking with heat if you know what I mean.

[uppityperson]

35. Only if they have enough training in use and when to not use their guns. More than cops do at

any rate. And that would probably mean they'd need not only a lot more training but also raises, etc. Seems there are trained law enforcement around already.