TSA Considers Giving Airports Broad Authority To Ban Firearms Everywhere

I'm not sure an administrative agency has the legal power to do this, but the Transportation Security Administration reportedly is considering giving airports the authority to ban firearms in areas NOT considered to be high security concerns.

Specifically, those areas not "secured" on airport property. This would include all areas of the terminal not within TSA checkpoint control, parking garages and lots, roads, and other places where currently law abiding citizens can carry firearms and self defense sidearms.

"Airport officials and lawmakers are watching closely as the TSA weighs a request by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to modify its security program to impose an airportwide ban on guns. It is the first such request to TSA from an airport.

"Federal law bars passengers from bringing weapons to or past airport checkpoints. But in many airports, state law allows passengers to carry guns and knives in unsecured areas such as a main terminal — often to airport officials' dismay.

"Airport officials and lawmakers are watching closely as the TSA weighs a request by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to modify its security program to impose an airportwide ban on guns. It is the first such request to TSA from an airport. "Any decisions we make that affect (Atlanta) could affect every other airport in the country," TSA spokesman Christopher White said Thursday.

"Federal law bars passengers from bringing weapons to or past airport checkpoints. But in many airports, state law allows passengers to carry guns and knives in unsecured areas such as a main terminal — often to airport officials' dismay."

Here is the best rebuttal to this PSH:

"GeorgiaCarry.org lawyer John Monroe said the airport gun ban jeopardizes personal safety: "You might like to have a gun in your car because you come home on an 11:30 p.m. flight."

Of course, I have to throw in an observation about the bias that exists in this story. It is hardly a balanced story, but it appeared on Page 1 above the fold. Out of the 12 graphs comprising this story, one single paragraph -- a mere 31 words -- provides rebuttal commentary.

Courtesy of Mr. Thomas Frank, writer for USA Today.

BTW, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue enthusiastically supports allowing law abiding citizens to carry their self defense sidearms onto airport property. Calling it "a good idea," Gov. Perdue noted that he without question would want his wife to have the option of carrying a firearm for self defense on "long terminal walks."

If you've ever flown through Atlanta, and come in or out of the airport toward parking, etc., the governor makes a very good point . . .