No one can answer for his courage when he has never been in danger.
-La Rochefoucald
I had similar thoughts to those expressed in the email above when I heard that they did all this with razor blades embedded in pieces of plastic. Even my pacifist brother-in-law had the same thoughts.
I would hope that in a similar situation, I would have done the same thing the guys on the PA flight did. However, as the above quote says, you can never be sure how you'll react until you're faced with the situation in person.
I think the best we can do is say to ourselves, right now, "If I'm ever in a similar situation, I will not cower and plead. I will take action without regard to my own well-being, for the good of others." It's better to die an honorable death than to die a coward, begging for your life. Mental preparation before the fact is essential, I believe, to proper action when the pressure is on.
-dan