To Arm or not to arm.......
I think that putting a valuable wepon into the aircraft cabin makes it that much easier for a hijacker to get past security on the ground. If his wepon of choice is already on-board, half of his trouble is over. All he now has to do is get the cockpit door open.
It has to start on the ground before the engines start. It has to start at the time a passenger books a ticket. How they pay. Where did they purchase. What is their criminal background. This may start to encroach on peoples civil liberties, but the only ones that have to worry are those that have something to hide.
Passeners boarding aircraft need to be scrutinized before being given a ticket. And I think that an airline has every right to refuse a passenger for any reason. We cannot and should not have to rely on the flight attendants and pilots for aircraft security. If they have to deal with a dangerous situation caused by a passenger while in flight, it's too late. They are ultimately the last line of defense. Let them do the job they are trained for, fly the aircraft.
Less problem solving,
More problem prevention.