This is the opinion of the writer after seeing a Fox News report: Why is it there are people who want to pass a proposed ordinance proposal to take a stand against the coming surveillance of drones in the U.S.? It’s hard for me to comprehend that any person would want to pass such a proposal that would allow the shooting down of a government owned drone. Haven’t they ever stopped to consider the lives they could be endangering and the personal property they could destroy for the satisfaction of their own self-centered needs? Haven’t they stopped to think the drone could possibly come down in an area containing thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals that could be ignited to cause a major explosion or the fumes from the chemicals could kill many people and injure many more?
In a Fox New report of July 20, 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave a warning to people who fire at drones that they could be prosecuted or fined for their actions.
The news reported the FAA has released a statement in response to questions about an ordinance under consideration in a farming community in Deer Trail, Colorado that would possibly encourage hunters to shoot down the drones.
This is a reminder to the public that the FAA regulates the nation’s airspace, including the airspace over our cities and towns. The public should not have to be told this because it’s my own opinion that a person in a sound state of mind would not ever think about shooting at an airplane or drone at any time. A decision by a person to fire at an airplane or drone boggles my mind and causes me to fear these type proposed ordinance proposals, this causes me fear.
Phillip Steel, a resident in Deer Trail, Colorado, told Fox and Friends that he had drafted a proposed ordinance and submitted it for approval to the town’s board in which he said, “I want to take a stand against the coming surveillance society that is rushing in on us.”
Officials in the town has admitted they’ve never seen any of these drones flying in the Eastern Plains area, but they said, “They think using unmanned surveillance planes to spy on people in the United States is wrong;” and stating, “They indicated that the ordinance is mostly symbolic.”
A question here people, “What does an innocent American person have to fear about a surveillance drone if they’re not trying to cover up something they don’t want others to know?”
The government certainly doesn’t have the money nor the man-power to conduct a surveillance of all the people throughout the world. They’re only interested in terrorist and those who are a threat to our country.
In my opinion it can be said that the proposed ordinance proposal is merely for symbolic purposes against small, civilian drones that are coming into use in the United States, but once the proposal is approved, and it is adopted in to law, people will have a right to shoot down drones.
The FAA indicated firing at an unarmed aircraft could result in criminal or civil liability, the same as it will if a person fires at a manned airplane. They have indicated a “hit” drone from gunfire could possibly end in a crash, causing injury/death to the public and/or damage to property or it could collide with other objects in the air.
It was reported that under the proposed ordinance, Deer Trail would grant hunting permits to shoot down drones. The permits at a cost of $25 each; and the town would encourage drone hunting and it would award $100 to anyone who presents a valid hunting license and identifies pieces of a drone that they’ve shot down.
Steel has been collecting petition signatures and he has 28 signatures, this is approximately 10 percent of the town’s registered voters; and under the Colorado law, this requires the local officials to formally consider this proposed ordinance during their next meeting which is next month. If the proposed ordinance is voted and accepted, town officials have an option to adopt the ordinance or put it on the ballot in an election this fall, he said.
In my opinion this is the most reckless proposed ordinance I have ever heard of in my entire life. A town that would openly allow and encourage the destruction of government property is an outrage to me. Where is the people’s respect for their government? I believe this is an act of sheer violence and people’s refusal to respect the rights of the government to use surveillance programs to protect the country against terrorist plots and attacks.
I have a question I’d like to ask these people, “Why would the government want to spy on innocent people who have been living in a “small” town or city for years and their ancestors were there prior to that…wake up people these surveillance programs are for the purpose of attempting to save Americans lives and they’re definitely not for the purpose of spying on its citizens?”
Drones aren’t built at a low price and people should realize it takes big money to replace them and it’s the people’s tax dollars they’re spending when they destroy them; and it’s my belief, it’s not fair for any such proposal to ever be accepted by a public, symbolic or not. It’s my belief that people are being hoodwinked and influenced by others who are on a “rage” about these drones.
It’s sad but if this happened, there are those that would be the first to say, “The government is to blame for not catching a terrorist plot in a small city or country town.”
Steel pointed out, “The proposal ordinance is mainly a symbolic protest against small, civilian drones that are coming into use in the United States; and then stating, “It’s improbable that there are any drones in the air over Deer Trail.”
The head of the FBI acknowledged in June that the agency uses drones to conduct surveillance in the United States, and stating, “They do so rarely, The Wall Street Journal reported.”
Robert Mueller, director of the FBI, has stated, “The agency uses drones in a very, very minimal way, very seldom.”
Federal agencies have had drones in use for years and they have been monitoring the northern and southern borders of the U.S., and only on an occasion, they’ve been deployed to use in domestic law-enforcement agencies like the FBI.
Writer of this article is Barbara Kasey Smith based on a Fox News report.
Source:
Fox News