As the probability of a new Mideast war increases, those who believe that murdering Americans is the path to heaven will still see our airlines as vulnerable targets despite the security measures instituted after 9/11/01. As airline passengers, we have two choices if our flight is attacked by terrorists. We can hide our heads and hope that others will deal with it, or we can take instant, physical action against the terrorists before they get the upper hand.

Section 144 of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act gives airline passengers the right to use force to stop airline terrorists. All we need is the courage to act. Remember, courage is contagious, and there is strength in numbers. If you lead, others will follow, and the terrorists will fail.

Charles AkemannUCSB Professor