Speech Summary: Solutions Post-9-11
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Speech Summary: Solutions Post-9-11 Speech summary. Original Speech (c) John Lott. * Over the past six months, gun sales in both the U.S. and Israel have increased by about 50% in the U.S. and 75% in Israel; * People are beginning to realize that there are too many vulnerable targets for the military or police to protect; * Law-abiding, trained citizens should be allowed concealed handguns; * 12% of Jewish adults in Israel have concealed handguns; * There have been three major security-strengthening operations since 9-11: (1) Improved screening, (2) baggage security, and (3) strengthening of aperatus; * The most feasable option, however, is being ignored: Arming pilots; * Of the more than 35,000 commercial flights on a daily basis, far less than 1% have air marshalls; * American taxpayers pay more than $7 billion per year for U.S. Marshalls on every flight (because two are needed on every flight that has even one); * According to U.S. government statistics since 9-11, 70% of those with knives, 60% of those with explosives, and 30% of those with guns were able to sneak onto commercial airplanes without being stopped by security; * Currently, it is very easy for anyone with a knife perfectly placed in a can to sneak onto a U.S. airplane; * The cost/benefit ratio for terrorists of attacking a plane is the same now as it was pre-9-11. * So what can we do about the problem? * Arming pilots: Besides flying the plane, in terms of security, it is the job of the pilots to guard the airplane cockpit; * Pilots support this move: 83% of those in the Airline Pilot's Association support this move, while 73% of those in the Southwest Airline Pilot's Association support this move; * Cockpit explosions have never actually been reported; * According to statistics, in cases with a male attacker and a female victim, it is most dangerous when (1) female victims use their fist to punch the male attacker (it results in more harm to them than the attacker) and (2) female victims run away from male attackers (the men usually catch up to them); * Victims face utter helplessness in cases such as Looby's and Columbine; * Four of the school shottings since October, 1997 were stopped by armed citizens; How many more would have been? * The media ignored the fact that the Pearl, Mississippi school shooting was stopped by a Assistant Principal who was armed; * Out of the 600+ stories that discussed the Pearl massacre, only 19 of them mentioned the Assistant Principal's role in stopping the massacre; * 11 states have discretionary gun laws: Those states that do not allow concealed carry such as Wisconsin and Massachusetts; * There is an 81% injury decrease when states have non-discretionary gun laws; * In states with discretionary gun laws, 70% of the attackers die at the scene; * Two broad groups of people benefit from non-discretionary gun laws: (1) women and the elderly (those who are more weak physically) and (2) poor blacks who live in high-crime areas; * Police are important, but they cannot be everywhere at one time; * Those, such as Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), who advocate waiting for the police to come instead of taking action, are giving bad and dangerous advice; |
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