May 30, 2002

Dear President Bush,

I was a volunteer for your presidential campaign. Folks like me are your political base, not liberal Democrats like Norm Mineta. That makes it even more disturbing and inexcusable that you've refused to arm pilots when the vast majority of Americans are in favor of this easily implemented, cost effective, common sense policy that would've saved 3,000 lives on 9/11.

That you still haven't armed pilots forces me to suspect that you may deserve some of the "What did he know, when did he know it?" criticism Democrats are dishing out about the 9/11 warnings. We know some of what you knew and we know what you did about it.

Some of what you surely knew:

* Nearly a decade ago, a best selling novel included a suicide flight into the capitol during a State of the Union address, killing off the President, the Vice President, the Senate, and the House.

* In the 1990s, terrorism experts warned of the possibility of such attacks.

* Suicide attacks against the U.S. and Israel have long been part of the standard terrorist M.O.

* Terrorists were training on jet liners and learning how to fly them.

* A high-level defector exposed terrorist training camps in Iraq, complete with airliners.

* Kamikaze pilots were used in WWII.

* During the Clinton presidency, a suicide pilot barely missed the White House.

* In 1974, a deranged man was killed in an attempt to hijack and fly an airliner into the White House.

When you knew it:

* Way before 9/11

What you did about it:

* Nothing

* Actually, worse than nothing. In July 2001, shortly before 9/11, you revoked an FAA regulation that had allowed airline pilots to carry firearms since 1961. By doing that, you guaranteed that all American airliners, passengers, crew, and tens of millions of other potential victims would be defenseless against terrorists on 9/11. (www.sierratimes.com/02/05/22/arjj052202.htm)

What you know now:

* The claim we could never have imagined suicide terrorist hijackings is total nonsense.

* Armed pilots would've prevented 9/11 and would prevent similar attacks in the future.

What you're doing about it:

* You ordered your military pilots to shoot down and execute every passenger and crew member on board airliners that get hijacked by terrorists.

* You refused to arm pilots.

President Bush, if you're willing to shoot down innocent Americans instead of arming pilots, why shouldn't we believe you did know something was coming on 9/11 and didn't do anything to stop it?

If a suicide hijacking happens again because you refused to arm pilots, through your misfeasance you will share moral responsibility for their deaths, and your own political base will take part in the blame fest. You're responsible for anti-gun Homeland "Security" Director Ridge, anti-gun Transportation Secretary Mineta, and gun grabbing Transportation "Security" Director Magaw pushing that insane policy.

You're the President. It's your policy. You would rather let thousands of citizens die than enact a national policy that recognizes the benefit of concealed carry by responsible citizens.

If you expect your base to stand by you and defend you, give us a reason to believe you're really doing the right thing. Arm pilots and fire Ridge, Mineta, and Magaw.

Republicans should think about how arming other citizens could prevent the next terror attack, which likely will not be on an airplane, because everyone expects it.

But they're still terrorists. They'll still look for the easy prey, the unarmed and defenseless prey, the unsuspecting prey. That's why a suicide truck bomber was able to kill 240 American soldiers in Beirut after the Reagan Administration ordered them to keep their rifles unloaded. That's why the terrorists were able to hijack airplanes, because your policies leave them defenseless. That's why the next attack will be in some other "gun-free" zone where terrorists can operate with government protection.

So what are the other terrorist safe haven zones? Examples:

* Schools. Even teachers with concealed carry permits face long federal prison terms if they carry to defend themselves and their students. Every psycho knows it, which is why school shooting death tolls are so high. When Israel armed teachers, their school shootings vanished.

* States that do not provide "shall-issue" concealed carry permits to decent citizens. Dr. John Lott's research shows that public shootings fall by over 80% in "shall-issue" permit states where good citizens can carry for community defense. You're doing nothing to expand this and provide reciprocity between states, as with driver's licenses.

* States that have "shall-issue" but limit its usefulness. For example, Virginia's current law bans carry in restaurants that serve liquor even if the carrier doesn't drink and even though there was never an incident in such an restaurant in the 100 years of Virginia's earlier carry laws. I'll bet $1,000 the next terror attack will probably be in one of the 17 states that prohibit shall-issue carry, like California, New York, or Colorado, or in a "zone" where citizen carry is prohibited -- like a school. Or a train, or a Virginia restaurant, or a major business that prohibits employee carry, and so on.

The bet's open to George Bush, Sarah Brady, Ted Kennedy, Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Ridge, Magaw, Mineta, any national figure who supports leaving the People defenseless against terrorists. I don't expect a taker, but if there is one, I expect to get paid. Anyone who steps up to the plate can contact Angel Shamaya ([email protected]) and he'll draft the terms and arrange to hold the money.

If Republicans let PC considerations stop them from working to arm citizens to prevent the next attack, then Republicans deserve to lose the next election to Hillary. Instead of fearing their own shadows and limiting themselves to conventional, conservative thought, Republicans need to go on the offensive. "The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." -Proverbs Do the right thing. Honor your oath. The right to self defense is a sine qua non of the right to life itself. Respect the right of the People to keep and bear arms and the people will be able to help stop terrorism.

Sincerely,

Russ Howard
Former NRA Board Member (1995-97)

(Thanks to David Codrea for reminding me of the WWII Kamikazes)

Other articles from Russ Howard can be found in his archives at http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Howard.