Drones- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Drones are called UAVs, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles. They are new aircrafts that do not need a human operator onboard to operate the aircraft. The human operators are on the ground, usually in a military base, along with the entire unmanned aircraft system: the aircraft, personnel and digital network (Thompson). Drones range in numerous ways; key characteristics is the drone sizes , the installed equipment, potential usage, and how they are controlled. Drones size can be as large as a jet or as small as an insect. They can have preset flight plans or be controlled by remote controls (Thompson). Drones are used for surveillance but they can also be weaponized. Drones are the latest and most efficient weapons the US has used abroad in military zones, especially in the Middle East. As the US slowly withdraws from that region, questions are being asked and some are still waiting for answers: What are Drones? Can these ideal machines be converted for domestic usage? What implications will these have towards the safety of the people and their rights? These questions lead to unmarked territory. Legal scholars, lawmakers, and the military have different ways of twisting laws and regulations to get what they want leading to the general public concerns. Arising issues and questions surrounding drones are brought up in hundreds of articles. Articles from The Washington Times, The New York Times, and Global Research highlight the legal aspects and issues. These articles introduce several facts and some opinions on the idea of Drones coming on American Soil. Shaun Waterman, a writer for The Washington Times, wrote, “Drones over U.S. get OK by Congress”. Waterman highlights the different contributions drones would have in th... ... middle of paper ... ...n sentenced to death without due process. He is unfavorable towards the pilots that “eliminate” targets sometimes without concrete evidence. He sees it as unjust to those that die and also to those taking lives. It is too disconnected from reality- its too similar to a video game. Representative are saying that they are trying to get new laws written quickly to present to the FAA to then report that information to Congress. Work Cited Hugus, Richard. "War From Above: Domestic Drones Patrolling the Skies of America." Global Research. Global Research, 2 January 2014. Web. 10 Mar 2014. "The Dawning of Domestic Drones." The New York Times: The Opinion Page. The New York Times, 25 Dec 2012. Web. 10 Mar 2014. Shaun, Waterman. "Drones over U.S. get OK by Congress." The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 7 February 2012. Web. 10 Mar 2014.

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