Against all logic, senior officials in the Bush Administration refuse to allow commercial airline pilots to arm themselves. Recently, Norman Mineta, Transportation Secretary and Clinton holdover, stated that he opposed allowing trained pilots to carry firearms, and instead offered that they use stun guns. That a liberal like our disgraced Transportation Secretary is illogically against proper security measures that would prevent the next 9/11, is no surprise. However, it is somewhat shocking that Vietnam Veteran and Director of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, is also opposed to pilots having guns!

"I don't think we want to equip our pilots with firearms," said Ridge. "That doesn't make a lot of sense to me." Okay, Mr. Ridge, then please explain how much sense it makes to tell pilots, many of whom are ex-military, and are trusted with guiding hundreds of people, thousands of feet above the earth, that the next time they are confronted with five hijackers, their only option is for one pilot to wave a stun gun at them, while the other pilot throws peanuts.

Thankfully, the Airline Pilots Association (APA) is not taking this absurdity lying down. They are desperately urging Congress to pass legislation allowing pilots to carry firearms in cockpits. Association spokesman, John Mazor, logically points out: "Before September 11, on balance it was thought that guns brought more risk than benefit to the cockpit. But that was before…The cockpit has to be defended at all costs. The pilot must be prepared to kill a cockpit intruder." It seems such logic is lost on the Minetas and the Ridges who care less about real security measures, and more about political correctness.

*Action to Take*

1. Call both of your Senators and your House Representative and urge them to pass legislation allowing pilots to arm themselves. Senate Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. House Switchboard: (202) 225-3121.

2. Call Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. Tell them that now is NOT the time for touchy-feely political correctness! Americans deserve the real airline security that armed pilots would provide! Flood them with faxes and phone calls! Norman Mineta’s Phone: (202) 366-1111, Fax: (202) 366-7952. Tom Ridge’s Phone (White House Comment Line): (202) 456-6213, Fax: (202) 456-2461.

3. Click here:  to send this urgent Action Alert to up to ten of your friends.

When he’s not comforting the enemy by baselessly attacking our efforts against terrorism, he’s helping to ensure that America stay’s dependant on oil from the Middle East for the foreseeable future. He is: Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

Last year, the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive energy bill that would allow oil and gas exploration in a minute section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). It is estimated that ANWR holds as many as 16 billion barrels of oil. Harvesting this oil would greatly reduce our dependence on oil from hostile foreign regimes. The bill then moved on to the Senate, where it currently has enough votes to pass. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, however, refuses to even allow a vote on its passage! The reason? He is beholden to the environmental extremist lobby, and therefore, is placing politics ahead of U.S. energy security.

Daschle is stifling the voices of the majority for a few "green" dollars. He is toeing the green line, claiming that drilling in ANWR would ruin one of our "last environmental sanctuaries." This is simply not true, and he knows it. The proposed drilling spot in ANWR comprises only one one-hundredth of a percent of the total refuge! Moreover, through modern techniques, drilling in ANWR can easily be done in an environmentally safe manner. This is not the wildlife haven that Daschle and his green buddies make it out to be. Nine months out of the year, ANWR is a frozen wasteland.

It’s time for Senator Daschle to STOP this obstructionist tyranny! The votes are there to allow drilling in ANWR, and in light of our nation’s war against terror, drilling in ANWR has become a national security issue!

*Action to Take*

1. Call Senator Daschle and tell him to stop playing politics with our nation’s security. Tell him to allow a vote on ANWR in the Senate. We need to begin harvesting domestic oil as soon as possible! Sen. Daschle’s Phone: (202) 224-5556, Fax: (202) 224-6603.

2. Click here:  to send this urgent Action Alert to up to ten of your friends.

*Note: 2002 is shaping up to be a vital year. Good patriots are defending liberty on many different fronts. We want to make APC’s Action Alert System the most effective in the nation. If you know of activists who should be receiving these alerts—especially those with distribution lists of their own—please have them contact us via feedback form or fax us at: (540) 341-8917. Thank you.