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First City In the US To Pass an Anti-Drone Resolution
An anonymous reader writes "According to an Al-Jazeera report, 'Charlottesville, Virginia is the first city in the United States to pass an anti-drone resolution. The writing of the resolution coincides with a leaked memo outlining the legal case for drone strikes on U.S. citizens and a Federal Aviation Administration plan to allow the deployment of some 30,000 domestic drones.' The finalized resolution is fairly weak, but it's a start. There is also some anti-drone legislation in the Oregon state Senate, and it has much bigger teeth. It defines public airspace as anything above your shoelaces, and the wording for 'drone' is broad enough to include RC helicopters and the like."
About bloody time!
The Government can ignore this just like they ignore a sovereign States authority (See DIA raids in CA on marijuana shops and farms). In fairness, the town must abide by State law which may invalidate the City law.
Until more people wake up and shake off the cobwebs, the police state will continue to grow. I hope like hell we catch it in time, but looking at media and education I have strong doubts.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Two words. Drone Season. There you go, its a self correcting problem. You can increase the tax base by selling licenses too. Just thing, for $75 bucks every gun toating, drunk ass redneck can fill the sky with lead.
Errr, on second though, maybe this isn't such a good ideal.
Supporting World Peace Through Nuclear Pacification
The faster we slide to full on fascism, the sooner it will all collapse and we can finally re-evaluate our principles. I'm tired of this moderately predatory murder-based society being able to justify itself due to the prosperity created by the last vestiges of peace and voluntarism. Let's fucking drown ourselves in violence so we can finally recognize that none of this evil is justified. Let us kill the healthy host completely so that the parasite is exposed. Then perhaps we can start over without any illusion that violent parasitism is good in moderation.
I play around with RC planes and my kids want to attach a camera to our next project. Does that make me a criminal? I thought it made me a cool Dad!
The Posse Comitatus Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act prohibits military being used against US citizens unless such action is allowed by the US Constitution, or an Act of Congress.
The Federal Government claims sovereign authority over everything over 500 ft. The Feds will continue to regulate this airspace, and if someone has a Federal license to operate a drone, it will override local regulations anyway.
Only thing this will do is bust people using unregulated space. We will probably hear about it being applied to kids strapping cameras to their RC airplanes.
Seeing as how the national airspace system is federally regulated, and in Charlottesville VA the FAA owns the airspace from 700 feet up (surface up in some parts of the city, near their lovely airport) this law is nothing but symbolic bombast.
Want to make a dent in the drone problem? Scream at Congress and get them to mandate that the FAA establish sensible rules for UAVs.
Congress has already passed legislation forcing the FAA to integrate drones into the national airspace system (because Congress knows so much about the intricacies of air traffic management and safety), so how about getting them to stop being complete idiots about it?
/~mikeg
Would constitute an airspace violation.
I hate to bring this up... but city councils / local municipalities, etc have no authority over airspace. That would belong to the FAA. As evidenced in a recent case: http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2013/130117lessons-learned-from-glider-arrest.html
Or it can be interpreted as the highest shoelace within a 1000 mile perimeter. Then they'll put shoelaces on top of radio towers.
I get why people are disturbed by assassinations and spying. What I don't get is why there is such a big deal made about the fact that it is being done by drones. What does it matter if the pilot is physically in the airplane or on the ground watching a video feed from a drone? Anything that can be done from a drone could have been done by an airplane with a pilot in it. Drones are just safer for the pilot, and makes it easier to go to the bathroom.
Rather than passing this kind of narrow minded anti-drone legislation, why don't they pass anti assassination or anti-spying legislation, if it's assassinations and spying that you are actually worried about. Anti-drone legislation only makes sense if you want pilots in those airplanes for some reason (e.g. because pilots are better at avoiding midair collisions, etc).
I am wondering if all the Obama Kool Aid drinkers are having second thoughts yet. Now that he doesn't have to run for re-election, he's pretty much told all you to fuck off and die and he'll do what he wants, Constitution be damned.
We had the same problem with Bush II - tells you something, doesn't it?
People want to feel safe. The media makes a LOT of money scaring the shit out of Jane and John Q. Public. They want their Government to do something.
I mean really - in this day and age I still hear from folks who say they feel so much safer with the TSA.
Really?!
And I can tell you for sure, that Mr. and Mrs. Public are going to feel nice and safe with pappa government flying overhead making sure that those evil drug dealers, terrorists, pedophiles, and assorted bugga boos.
So look around you. The folks who buy into the lies and horseshit being broadcast by our lying cheating irresponsible for-profit media has completely misinformed your neighbors (and ourselves for that matter) because DO NOT want to be informed, they want to be entertained.
Look at Fox News. Very little real content and plenty of pretty young women with short slit skirts and very high heels. CNN isn't much better.
An do people spend the time to actually get the facts or to research and check the media outlets? Fuck no!
So while folks are all scared about Obama taking their pea shooters (POS .223), he and his successor (Dem or Rep doesn't matter) will be spying on everyone to keep them "safe" .
So, before blaming the Kool-Aid drinkers, how about taking the plank out of your own eye because you're spouting off the same cheap rhetoric that I see time and time again on our dipshit media.
There is one major part that is left out in the summary;
The writing of the resolution coincides with a leaked memo outlining the legal case for drone strikes on U.S. citizens and a Federal Aviation Administration plan to allow the deployment of some 30,000 domestic drones.'
The leaked memo outlines the legal case for drone strikes on U.S. citizen on foreign soil. By neglecting that very important point and linking it to an FAA plan to allow drones in US airspace is implies that there will be 30,000 armed drones in US airspace. That is so far from the truth as to be laughable.
Montana is considering legislation that would make any evidence gathered by drones inadmissible in court. Source: Montana Public Radio this morning...
My first thought was to tie the shoelaces on top of the drone.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
What they have to hide?
I'm betting this will be ruled unconstitutional as an infringment of federal airspace prerogative as delegated to the FAA. Not to mention the usual "interstate commerce" bullshit.
For a given budget, you can field a whole lot more drones than manned vehicles. Even if they have to be continuously teleoperated, drone controllers are a lot cheaper than pilots, and drones are a lot cheaper to operate than manned vehicles.
I expect that before the end of the decade every squad car will carry multiple drones. This horse is out of sight of the barn.
remote planes? oh, drones are scary.. idiots.
Did anyone else besides me read about attacks on Americans.
Yeah, if we can't send soldiers in without higher then normal risk..in a war zone.
If they can't get you any other way,
if you are not on american soil,
and you are making plans with terrorist to attack the country.
Yeah, end of the fucking world right their.
If an American was talking to Hitler in Berlin to make plans to come home and blow up bridges, would anyone said a damn thing if a sniper took him out? Cause THAT"S the sort of thing we are talking about.
This is a drone, doing what military personal have been authorized to do fore decades.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
The BIGGER point is that when Obama wanted to close Gitmo and send those occupants to US prison or other legit foreign prisons CONGRESS put up block to stop him.
I find the power to EXTRACT me from the USA with zero oversight and then do "whatever" to me was over the top compared to ordering bombs dropped on "wanted: dead or alive" types.
Ah, come on, I'm not saying Kool Aid wasn't involved, but did you check out the other guy? What do you think he would have done about the impeding police state? Of course we don't really know because his answer would have depended on who was asking it. We're F'ed.
impending police state
Virginia led the confederacy and the secession. CSA's army was called "The Army of the Northern Virginia" for that reason. They will not stand by and have a federal President usurping the authority to kill its citizens without due process. No sir. The Constitution of the United States reserves all the residual rights, not specifically enumerated in the constitution to the states. Thus only the Governor of Virginia can kill its citizens without due process.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
As much as I hate that narcissistic slacker, it's not all Obama's fault. It's a powerful central government that has a limitless appetite for power, so both Democrats and Republicans are to blame. They don't care about the citizens whatsoever. All they care about is power.
We need to get rid of all incumbents every election. Don't let them get used to the power. Then, after a few elections, maybe we can get people in office who will start dismantling the massive bureaucracy that has taken over Washington. Congress passes one law, and then the bureaucrats create a thousand nit-picking regulations from it.
Call me a conservative, a liberal, or even a libertarian; I don't really care. But, folks, if we don't get a handle on the size of government, we're all going to suffer. Remember the old saying, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take everything you have." (including all of your freedoms)
Your post is a little confusing to me, but I hope you haven't fallen for the lie that Obama wanted to end the practices of Gitmo. Obama did try to close Gitmo and Congress stood in the way, but it was a type of "closing" where those practices were merely imported to a Federal Supermax in Illinois, not a "closing" in the sense of ending the practice of indefinite due process free detention. It was a very clever bit of politics on Obama's part -- something an uncritical Democrat could latch on to in the tribal GOP v. DNC clownfight.
see: "Welcom to Gitmo North"
http://www.salon.com/2009/12/15/gitmo_3/
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
They have not got around to writing any laws despite two deadlines for writing said laws having passed already.
Eh. Big freaking deal if drones fly over. What will happen? They will see me getting in my car to go to work? Or no maybe the drone will shoot me for going out to get my mail or sitting on my back porch reading a book!!! Oh please not that! I cant be caught getting my mail!
The only people who have to worry about drones are the ones doing bad things. Trust me for all us regular people, no one cares about us.
Besides how is this any different than me going outside and a cop driving by and looking at me? If Im not doing anything wrong he wont stop because he doesnt care if I am taking out the trash. But how come none of you complain about police cars that do patrols? Its the exact same thing, its someone going by and seeing you outside of your home.
Bunch of paranoid, bored and retarded monkeys. You just want to complain about everything and blow stuff out of proportion.
When I first read this I think, "Yea, this is bad." But when I stop to think about the TV show Cops and how they sometimes they have a helicopter flying over a high speed chase (OJ Simpson anyone?) or on foot pursuit in residential areas there is a helicopter giving a birds eye view of the situation. Is this any different? Sure it could be used to evil things but the same can't be said for a chopper?
These days I am looking at this as a straight up power grab by the executive branch. The Patriot act and the recent leaked memo indicate their intents and desire to usurp the checks and balances to keep any one body from gaining too much power. Obama being in charge of the branch authorizing a police state and 30,000 drones and how to circumvent due process of their own citizens has the ability to to say no, fight for the Constitution and the citizens rights to privacy and dignity associated with it. If I am in charge of a project and it fails or falls behind, it is my responsibility. The state of the Constitution and the Republic ideals on which this country was founded fall squarely on his shoulders.
People who see these slippery slopes everywhere should take up skiing
tone
Using Anti-Drone Drones?
It's quite possible that anti-drone legislation could be interpreted to deny politicians to speak at press conferences.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
...the population would be decimated by falling bullets. :P
The federal govt will come in and say that either they get to use their drones for whatever or the state starts getting federal funds for this or that. And you can guess how that will end.
I'm overjoyed that we're finally seeing some push-back from local, county and state governments to stop the rampant abuses of power by the federal government.
CO, CA and WA telling the feds to F*** off on marijuana. Arizona actually enforcing immigration law. Virginia passing an anti-NDAA resolution. Country sheriffs saying "No" to proposed anti-gun policies. Now, people standing up to this ridiculous drone policy. Good for them.
State, local and country governments (at least in my locale) are fairly responsive to the people. Federal government is owned by the banking cartel and other elite special interests.
I don't care if it's healthcare, global warming, campaign finance reform or anything else. This government in Washington DC should not be allowed to seize any more wealth or power.
Psst...the FAA doesn't write laws. That's Congress' job.
All the world's an analog stage, and digital circuits play only bit parts.
When will the federal government learn?
> They don't have any power that's not explicitly granted to them by The Constitution.
> The USA and federal government were created by states voluntarily ratifying The Constitution and joining in a union with other states.
> The federal government has no legal authority to use military force against a state wishing to voluntarily withdraw from the union.
Many states are getting very tired of relentless federal government abuses like the drug war, NDAA, anti-gun legislation, etc. What's Big Brother going to do when 30 or 40 states decide they've had enough of this BS? Deploy nukes?
As has been discussed here in the past, the video feeds are uncompressed.
How much would it cost to build a system w/ a radio system which would constantly monitor the radio frequencies used to transmit drone video feeds, display any which are found on a monitor, sound an audio alarm and begin streaming said video feeds off-site?
How would the public react to every such drone strike / usage being recorded and made available on-line?
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
They are supposed to write policy which congress would then vote into law, but the FAA has been asked, by congress, to write policy for UAVs. Of course being a pedantic ass works too :)