First U.S. City Passes Anti-Drone Resolution

[marmar]

February 5th, 2013 12:44 AM
First U.S. City Passes Anti-Drone Resolution

By David Swanson


Shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, February 4th, the City Council of Charlottesville, Va., passed what is believed to be the first anti-drone resolution in the country. According to my notes, and verifiable soon on the City Council's website, the resolution reads:

WHEREAS, the rapid implementation of drone technology throughout the United States poses a serious threat to the privacy and constitutional rights of the American people, including the residents of Charlottesville; and

WHEREAS, the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia have thus far failed to provide reasonable legal restrictions on the use of drones within the United States; and

WHEREAS, police departments throughout the country have begun implementing drone technology absent any guidance or guidelines from law makers;

NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the City Council of Charlottesville, Virginia, endorses the proposal for a two year moratorium on drones in the state of Virginia; and calls on the United States Congress and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia to adopt legislation prohibiting information obtained from the domestic use of drones from being introduced into a Federal or State court, and precluding the domestic use of drones equipped with anti-personnel devices, meaning any projectile, chemical, electrical, directed-energy (visible or invisible), or other device designed to harm, incapacitate, or otherwise negatively impact a human being; and pledges to abstain from similar uses with city-owned, leased, or borrowed drones.

The same City Council passed a resolution on January 17, 2012, calling for an end to drone wars, as well as ground wars, excessive military spending, and any possible attack on Iran. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/first-us-city-passes-anti-drone-resolution

[quinnox]

1. send in the troops, these unpatriotic fools need a reminder of who is in charge!

How dare they? Drones are a useful tool to spy on Americans, I mean terrorists, and all good and loyal citizens would never object to their use.

[sadalien]

5. What is with Southern Poverty Law Center?

I used to think they were a good organization but then I started hearing grumblings from some on the left about it.

[Cynicus Emeritus]

12. Power corrupts.

SPLC has done good things. That said they are typically at point pushing a philosophy and pulling strings that all Americans are potentially guilty, need watched and encourage expansion of surveillance. I call the latter views very un-American whether they be proposed by SPLC or Joe McCarthy.

Progressive, populist, libertarian for individual civil rights

[marmar]

6. Why attack the SPLC?

[Solly Mack]

16. My question exactly.

[cstanleytech]

3. Does this even matter since the federal government has sole control over air space in the US?

[bobclark86]

15. Since they're just asking for higher levels of government to think about it...

and not actually banning anything, then it might. You know, get some media attention and some pressure on Congress to do SOMETHING about this.

But on it's own, it's just posturing. We need deeds to back up words.

[DeadEyeDyck]

17. What does that mean?

I am a pilot. As far as airspace, most people live in Class G or uncontrolled airspace. That goes up to 14500 agl.
What airspace are you referring to?

[cstanleytech]

21. Oh? I didnt realize that the info at

Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2013, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

http://transportationlaw.uslegal.com/federal-transportation-agencies/federal-aviation-administration-faa/

was out of date, when did they change it?

[Burma Jones]

4. They beat Takoma Park, MD to it.....

[EastKYLiberal]

7. Will tinfoil hats be subsidized? nt

[marmar]

8. No, just Authoritarians & Their Admirers gatherings.....

...... What is up with DU today?

[Earth_First]

9. Clearly a snub at Administration drone policy...

Or some here at DU would have you believe anyways.

Bravo, Charlottesville!

[DhhD]

10. First State to regulate its own Militia and any other state's militia in its ground or air space.

[DhhD]

11. IMO, unless the Federal Government is at war with Virginia, then the 2nd Amendment over

powers the Patriot Act with regards to drones.

[Catherina]

13. Good! And may the rest follow. n/t

[woo me with science]

24. Hear hear for a growing pushback against the unconscionable. nt

[proverbialwisdom]

14. Analogous to responses to TPA described here.

http://bordc.org/resolutions.php

[Cynicus Emeritus]

18. Thanks for the post

Political power needs to move in both directions...bottom up and top down. That's what gives us balance. As long as cities and individuals fear not expressing their beliefs we still have a democracy. These kinds of resolutions get more attention from our elected representatives than a constituent phone call or email. I'm a big fan of grass roots politics.

[randome]

19. A city council passes a resolution affecting the entire state of Virginia? I don't think so.

This is just attention-getting nonsense.

[sadalien]

20. A municipality takes a stance

against unethical weapons systems and you dismiss it as nonsense.

[SQUEE]

22. they are endorsing a proposal.. so no they are not trying to effect the entire commonwealth

As an earlier poster said, governance comes from bottom up as well as top down. Good on the council.
And as for "attention getting nonsense", the more attention this gets the better.

[woo me with science]

26. "Attention getting"? Definitely!

...as protest of political acts that are unconscionable *should* be.


Nonsense? Hardly!
Good for Charlottesville, and may many, many more follow suit!

[Wilms]

23. ^

[marions ghost]

25. Thank you

people of Charlottesville.

[woo me with science]

27. I love the way Michael phrased that.

It is only the first, with many more to come!

[mwrguy]

28. Anti-government kookism

Alex Jones is probably ecstatic.

[woo me with science]

29. kick