The worst part is that we've accepted (2) and I'm not confident that (1) is more remote a possibility than it was four years ago.

As to your seperate question of whether I want everyone on the plane packing heat -- frankly, no, I wouldn't. Not unless you've been specifically trained in high-altitude combat like the Sky Chiefs and pilots (hopefully) have. I can see how you might see that as a repudiation of your Second Amendment rights, but I don't want to hope for the well-regulation of any militia that's joining me in a pressurized capsule six miles above the earth.