Drone mania is coming to America. Law enforcement agencies, companies and universities all want licenses to fly drones. Most of them are getting them. That does not even take into consideration the drones the Federal Government is flying in the United States.
There is a logical development to this story. If you are not worried yet, perhaps you should be.
What is it?
Overseas, the United States flies two types of drones, unarmed and armed.
Is the next logical development for American drones in American airspace to be armed drones?
From CBS News:
With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
Drones have been used overseas to target and kill high-level terror leaders and are also being used along the U.S.-Mexico border in the battle against illegal immigration. But now, these drones are starting to be used domestically at an increasing rate.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allowed several police departments to use drones across the U.S. They are controlled from a remote location and use infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras.
Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone.
“Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out and in certain situations it might be advantageous to have this type of system on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” McDaniel told The Daily.
Is anyone else just a little concerned about this?
There are a lot of privacy issues with reconnaissance drones just floating around but when we start talking about arming them, even with “non-lethal” weapons, we are taking this to a whole new level.
Here is a question someone should be asking. Why does any law enforcement agency need an armed drone? What is next? Do we start giving the police departments surplus A-10 attack aircraft so if someone barricades themselves in a house, the police can just drop a 500 pound bomb on the house and not have to worry about going in?
There is the other issue of drones being hacked. Many believe the Sentinel drone that was forced down in Iran was in fact hacked. Does anyone doubt that there are hackers out there with that kind of sophistication?
But the question remains, why does ANY law enforcement agency need any type of armed drone, even if the weapons are so-called non-lethal.
That is a question our leaders in Washington need to be asking.
Permalink Reply by Thomas Angle on Yep, I am sure the Jews felt the same way in the beginning.
Permalink Reply by Jerry Schmidt on Geesch man, what if something you are doing becomes illegal? what if your neighbor just doesn't like your attitude?What if you vote the wrong way, or smoke, or have a beer when the kids are home? in other words, everyone is doing something wrong, you should be very worried about this. just another violation of your privacy, and you're not worried?.
Permalink Reply by Carolyn Hamilton on Jerry,
I'm not only mad, I am pissed.
Permalink Reply by LANYON on Since some ME countries must already have drones made by Russia, China or Iran.... whose going to tell which drones are theirs? Hacking and shooting them down will be a tremendous challenge for the terrorists and anarchists.... time will tell..
Permalink Reply by Carolyn Hamilton on Does anyone know at what elevation these fly? Last I heard we had so much traffic in the skies, all we need is twenty or so thousand of these to create hell. Then, watch out below.. This is completely asinine.
I also heard they were able to see inside of our homes.. I am permanently walking around with my hallmark finger pointed upward.
Permalink Reply by Keith Richards on Small town police have been getting huge federal grants for military-grade weaponry since the PATRIOT Act passed. Many municipalities, including San Diego, Duluth and even Keene NH, already have their own tanks. Every major city in America has helicopters that could easily be weaponized. Michael Bloomberg, without flinching, has referred to the NYPD as a "personal army." If we didn't want drones in our skies today, we should have moved against police militarization 5 years ago. In the years after 9/11, we forfeited too much liberty in the name of security, and now the chickens have come home to roost. There will be no need to for the presidential usurper to declare martial law if local police are simply militarized and rendered dependent on federal funding.
Permalink Reply by John Gearhart on 450,000,000 40cal hollow point rounds for DHS!!!
Permalink Reply by Jim Gregus on So why doesn't the US border patrol use these. Isn't that a good place to start? No they want to use them on us so they can kill us.
Permalink Reply by Thomas Angle on Because the illegals and muslim fighters are not the enemy of our government.
Permalink Reply by george matuszewski on SO LETS APPLY AND ORDER SOME. TEA PARTY DRONES. COULD COME IN HANDY
Permalink Reply by Doug Sheets on I have a little one........ Google AR Drone. Pretty cool little spy copter. $400 bucks and you're on your way. Not weaponized though. It can't carry much.
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