Should anyone doubt whether there are too many guns in circulation in the U.S. comes this report from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
Last year at airport checkpoints, the nation set an all-time high by intercepting more than 6,500 guns. In most cases, according to authorities, the travelers claimed, probably truthfully, that they had forgotten about the gun in their purse, their briefcase or their carry-on bags.
Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, airports have cracked down on what travelers can bring on board. Guns, though, have always been forbidden except for law enforcement officers with a legitimate, work-related reason to be armed while in the air. It is baffling that thousands of civilians could have forgotten this and risked being detained and fined thousands of dollars.
As one retired TSA official told The Associated Press, “You should know where your gun is at, for crying out loud.” It’s not like misplacing a set of car keys, after all.
When a gun becomes this easily forgettable, it’s reason for major concern.
