Marshal Law

Certain aspects of life apply themselves easily to mathematical principles. Let ‘A’ equal riding as a passenger on a major airline after 9/11 while suffering from a treatable mental condition. When one does this and adds both of the following conditions,

B. Not taking your meds when you know that you’re crazy without them
C. Not ensuring that your spouse takes his meds when you know that he’s crazy without them

then A+B+C can equal 'D': a dead passenger.

Federal air marshals fired on a passenger for the first time in U.S. history Wednesday and killed a Florida man who falsely claimed to have a bomb in his backpack shortly after boarding a jet in Miami, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Rigoberto Alpizar, a 44-year-old home-improvement store worker, bolted from a jet on the ground after he was confronted by two air marshals, then was shot on the jetway, said James Bauer, special agent in charge of the air marshals' Miami field office. No explosives were found on Alpizar's body or in his bag. [SNIP]

After the marshals told him to get on the ground, he turned and reached into his bag, prompting them to fire, Doyle said.

It’s a tragedy that this man is dead, but thank God for the Air Marshals; they don’t shoot to wound and they don’t take an interview beforehand with a prospective perp to see whether he/she is telling the truth when he/she says, “I have a bomb.” Wounded bombers can blow themselves and everyone around them to bits.

More from Pajamas Media, including at least one blogger who dubs the marshals “Federal Airport Nazis.” Hey, there's always one who doesn't get it.

As an aside, one wonders whether any bi-polar passengers of the tightly secure El Al Airlines ever forget their meds. It’s amazing what doesn’t happen when you know that you’ll get capped for acting crazy.