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CNN reports that "fewer than 1 percent" of the 28,000 commercial airline flights traversing American skies each day have an air marshal on board. Judging from the tone and the specifics of the story, CNN wants you to believe that terrorists may at any moment seize control of a plane and replay 9/11 at will because, absent an armed marshal, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it!

Is that so?

According to CNN,

The TSA refuses to release either the total number of marshals regularly assigned to flights or a percentage of daily flights that are covered, but called the numbers given to CNN "a myth."

Greg Alter, assistant special agent in charge of the federal air marshal program, denied CNN an on-camera interview with Dana Brown, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

"Since the Federal Air Marshal Service post-September 11, 2001, expansion, the volume of risk-based deployments has consistently remained at, near or exceeded target levels," Alter wrote in an e-mail to CNN. He added, "Today, many thousands of dedicated and highly trained Federal Air Marshal Service [sic] work diligently around the globe to make air travel safer than it's ever been."

But Alter did not specify what those target levels are, and those inside the marshals service say there are nowhere near "thousands" of air marshals working the skies.

Air marshals told CNN that while the TSA tells the public it cannot divulge numbers because they are classified, the agency tells its own agents that at least 5 percent of all flights are covered.

But marshals across the country -- all of whom spoke with CNN on the condition they not be identified for fear of losing their jobs -- said the 5 percent figure quoted to them by their TSA bosses is not possible.

One marshal said that while security is certainly one reason the numbers are kept secret, he believes the agency simply doesn't want taxpayers to know the truth.

"I would be very embarrassed by [the numbers] if they were to get out," one air marshal said.

OK, so what we have here is another case of government bureaucracy muddling along, business as usual, telling anyone who bothers to ask questions to "trust us, we know what we're doing." Fact is, the Air Marshals have been beset with problems since 9/11, from the "kill-me-first" dress code to the morale-killing sensitivity training courses. It's no wonder that fewer marshals are covering fewing flights.

There is a scandal here. A couple, in fact. First, taxpayers are footing the bill for this boondoggle to the tune of $720 million a year. Where is all that money going?

Second, an more important, have we forgotten the lesson of 9/11? The attacks were a failure of government. Why should anyone expect government to get it right the next time, or all the time, or ever? The exemplars of the fighting spirit of that day are the heroes of United 93, who, once they knew what was happening, rose up and fought their hijackers rather than sit back and wait to die. 

The speech a United Airlines pilot delivered to his passengers shortly after air travel resumed in 2001 needs to be heard and heeded by Americans again:

Here is our plan and our rules. If someone or several people stand up and say they are hijacking this plane, I want you all to stand up together. Then take whatever you have available to you and throw it at them. Throw it at their faces and heads so they will have to raise their hands to protect themselves.

The very best protection you have against knives are the pillows and blankets. Whoever is close to these people should then try to get a blanket over their head — then they won't be able to see. Once that is done, get them down and keep them there. Do not let them up. I will then land the plane at the closest place and we WILL take care of them. After all, there are usually only a few of them and we are 200+ strong! We will not allow them to take over this plane.

I find it interesting that the US Constitution begins with the words "We, the people" — that's who we are, THE people and we will not be defeated."

No trained marshals on flights? Passengers have a duty as citzens to train themselves and defend themselves as only a free and self-governing people can.