Every year, the TSA reports on the number and variety of things they confiscate at U.S. airports each year. This includes firearms because, amazingly enough, some people don’t get that they won’t let you take a firearm into the secure portions of an airport. After all, the TSA gets squeamish about people taking an open bottle of water on a plane. Why would they allow a firearm on board?

However, it seems that almost 4,000 people didn’t get the memo last year.

There was a realistic-looking replica of a suicide vest found in a checked bag at an airport in El Paso. A block of inert explosives was discovered in a carry-on bag at an airport in Florida. Hand grenades were confiscated from luggage at airports all over the country. These, along with 3,957 firearms, were among the items discovered agents with the Transportation Security Administration discovered at airport security checkpoints in 2017. In its “TSA Year in Review” report, the agency said a “record-setting” number of firearms were found in carry-on bags. With nearly 4,000 firearms for the year, that translates to about 10 firearms a day. That’s up roughly 17 percent from 2016, when 3,391 firearms were found at checkpoints, TSA said. And the number of firearms found has risen steadily since TSA began tracking the number in 2005, when 660 firearms were found.

Look, I’m not saying I agree with the concept of disarming passengers before getting on a plane. Quite the contrary. I think 9/11 would never have happened had we allowed passengers to be armed.

However, they don’t, and we all know it. We know the TSA panics about shampoo bottles and beverage containers. Oh, and they tend to frown on guns as well.

By now, is there anyone who doesn’t know what happens if you have an item on the “forbidden” list? Is there anyone who doesn’t know the TSA confiscates these things?

Guns aren’t exactly disposable items. Lawfully purchased handguns tend to be kind of pricey. Why would anyone take a gun they spent hundreds of dollars on to an airport and try to get through the security checkpoint?

Seriously, airport security is a pain in the butt when you do everything right. I can only imagine how difficult they make it when you’re packing a firearm, for crying out loud.

And make no mistake, folks. These people are looked at by gun grabbers as proof that gun owners aren’t responsible. It’s taken as de facto proof that we’re all breaking laws as a regular thing. After all, in their mind, why else would there be almost 4,000 guns confiscated in 2017?

Please, people, don’t make their job easier. You know what will happen if you try and take a gun to a secure part of the airport. You know it. You know they won’t care that you have a permit. They will take your stuff and not give it back to you, and then you’ll be out your firearm and have helped boost the case of the anti-gunners.

Don’t be stupid. Please. If you want to lose your gun, just sell it for crying out loud. Don’t be an idiot and give the TSA a chance to confiscate it. You’re better than that.