Growing Opposition as US Mulls Arming Domestic Drones
ACLU: Not Appropriate for Police to Have Attack Drones
The decision for the US to bring drones, still relative newcomers as tools of overseas assassination, to a part of everyday life in Everytown, USA has come quickly, with large numbers of agencies nationwide getting approval for the deployment of domestic spy drones.
Civil liberties groups were just starting to rally against the new and growing threat to privacy, and officials are now doubling down, with reports that some police agencies are considering arming their spy drones to attack people.
“It’s simply not appropriate to use any of force, lethal or non-lethal, on a drone,” noted ACLU attorney Catherine Crump. She warned that people shouldn’t have to worry about being randomly tased in public when no police are present.
The Montgomery County, TX (which includes part of Houston) Sheriff’s Dept. is looking to be the first to arm their drones, and promised that they would only use them when “there is criminal activity afoot.”
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John_Muhammad
May 23rd, 2012 at 11:09 pm
If that drone is unidentified, it's coming down. Period. How do I know it's not being operated by some trigger-happy police officer or other terrorist? After all, we've been treated to scare stories of 'terrorist drones' for quite some time now- maybe it's time we begin taking those stories to heart as it seems they're all coming true.
John Ellis
May 24th, 2012 at 4:36 am
Fear government — Be a slave to government
Ability to terrorize people into submission, this is the power we give government by allowing it to have drones.
Its not working on terrorists, it just creates more vengeance and increases number of terrorists, and like the drug war in Mexico, using drones against criminals in America will only produce and fearful and enslaved America.
And if our voting majority thinks it controls government, our 51% most wealthy thinks it is the head wagging the tail government, reflect on what giving law enforcement the power to drone-assassinate you personally will do to the balance of power between you and government.
Aireck
May 24th, 2012 at 6:45 am
Finally a jobs program for all those teenagers who only have video game skills. Don't bring manufacturing back to the US, create a whole new industry wiping out SUSPECTED "evil-doers" (as Bush was like to say). Obama's advisers are really making lemonade out of our horrible public school system coupled with the rising desire of freedom from his populous.
donna
May 24th, 2012 at 7:43 am
But don't worry, they'll only use armed drones on criminals. And anyone they label as terrorists–like all progressives, protestors, Occupiers, etc. If you're an average brain-dead American, you'll have nothing to worry about.
Druthers
May 24th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Is this going to be another of those "strategies" to get what they want?
First they say we all want drones, then when there is an outcry, they say, we'll arm them, more outcry so they' back down and say Ok we won't arm the drones we are getting.
Sigh of relief, they get their drones and a few months later decide to arm them. It works everytime.
Kolya_Krassotkin
May 24th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Time to kick out the powers that be and end the Israelification of America. How I miss what our country used to be, before the neocons began formuating our foreign polcy.
Johnny_Warbucks
May 24th, 2012 at 11:54 am
I can't wait till they start targeting American civilians inside the US.
Johnny_Warbucks
May 24th, 2012 at 11:55 am
What part do you miss exactly? Slavery or the days when the white Amerikuns used to get a bounty for bringing in Injun scalps?
Valerianus
May 24th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
The speed of the implementation of the US police state tyranny is accelerating very rapidly. Americans are going to pay an immense toll before this tyranny is overthrown, if it is ever overthrown. The idea of the police flying armed aircraft around to shoot people ought to shock anyone, but instead Americans stand around nodding that it's another "great idea."
moe7
May 24th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Fucking Unbelievable!
moe7
May 24th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
I think you are on to something.
Jaime
May 24th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Or worse, they sit down like zombies watching American Idol and similar crap.
(SafeinOz)
May 24th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
'Land of the free'? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Hee Hee Heee……..'stop it your killing me"! ( no…really)
Curt
May 25th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
It's hard to believe that those in the Montgomery County, TX Sheriff’s Dept consider themselves to be Americans. They are acting more like military officers from a previous time and country that sought to dominate the world. If there was any justice, they would all be asked to leave the country and not come back, ever.