From Fox News: I sure hope the bipartisanship regarding this deal sticks around long enough to get it nixed. Krauthamer (sp) said "the first citizen to shoot one down would instantly become a folk hero."
well its not as if the federal govt has any power to dictate to the states that they arent allowed to use drones right?
I agree. But, more and more Liberals are enthusiastic about the Patriot Act, denying 4th Amendment Rights, and holding people without cause. Liberals have become huge authoritarians who disregard personal freedoms. We should have realized that would be their nature when they actually had the intellectual dishonesty and gall to argue that the 2nd Amendment was not an individual right, when all the rest of the Bill of Rights clearly are. Liberals have proven that to them the ends justify the means and their ends is to control others.
There is a wonderful website that I found the other day that shows you how to build your own drone. I've ordered the kit. Should be fun.
are you saying the bill of rights forbids the use of unmanned drones??? how about manned helicopters? is there some sort of clause in the 4th that applies to unmanned but not manned?
Stealth. When there's a helo watching you, you know it. These are high flying, silent and small.They can stay on station for days. They are a weapon of war. A helo was a domestic invention USED in warfare. The drone is, by definition, a weapon. The founders were VERY specific when it came to their thoughts on the military being used in country. BTW, we are talking about Military surplus being sold to local law enforcement. Cameras, training, and all. Twelve miles away and 8 miles up, with the ability to look thru windows in your house. Not my idea of "reasonable search and seizure".
That's an incredible stretch. And the M-16 is probably the most used police rifle in the US. Following your logic the Constitution forbids their use by civilians. You're paranoid. Why would the police waste such a valuable resource on someone who has done nothing wrong?
Then put up thick curtains. IR observation without a warrant has already been made illegal by the USSC. So have the wife change your window dressings and forget about the drones. These are not weapons. They weren't originally invented to carry a bomb, they were invented to perform a task that all police find valuable, large scale surveillance of an area. Whether Libertarians like it or not, the Constitution does not forbid an Orwellian public existence and CCTV, drones, and constant public surveillance are going to become staples of American life whether Libertarians like it or not. Big Brother will be watching you in public, and the Constitution doesn't say dick about them not doing so.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Well you're right about one thing.....It doesn't say "dick"
Well however either feel about the drones, shooting one down let alone encouraging others to engage in a federal crime, may not be either yours or Krauthamer moment of zen. For your own good pass the word along. You are far more vulnerable in exposure when you engage in any electronic or public business transaction. When you file your taxes, they have a good idea who you are.
Scale...A helicopter is expensive to buy and operate while the kind of drones we are speaking of are MUCH cheaper. They can afford many for every helo so, they can use them not only for serious stuff but for simple snooping. Think the millions of camera's in London...If you allow it they will have us under surveillance 24/7 and they will grow government to support the capacity.
I seem to recall a universal temper tantrum (that went away completely when the administration changed) over Bush listening into foreign terrorists overseas without a warrant, but actual, real time snooping on normal Americans without their consent or knowledge is OK???
Another way to respond would be a jamming signal causing eh thing to lose control and simply fly away.
Please explain to me how a camera watching you was you walk down the street in a public space is a "search and/or seizure" becuase it is not. The USSC has already ruled that a Citizen does not have an expectation of privacy in public. As long as the drone is not using technology to look inside the 4 walls of your home, or in your pockets, or in your car, it is perfectly legal. An Orwellian public surveillance, while disturbing to your sentiments, is not unconstitutional. The Constitution is not interpreted broadly, but narrowly. As narrowly as possible. I just don't understand where people get these whackedo ut ideas about the Constitution.
It's not just liberals. Both sides passed the Patriot Act, authorized Gitmo, and passed the NDAA detention clause.