The police-industrial complex aims
to deploy thousands of domestic drones in the next few years.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Domestic drones ARE coming. If you're concerned about this, click here.Last year, Sheriff Tommy Gage of Montgomery County, Texas, was eager to show off his new surveillance toy. Having obtained a $300,000 Homeland Security grant from the federal government, his office had become the first police agency in the nation to have its very own drone, a pilotless aircraft to monitor and, yes, spy on people.
This
beauty came with the deluxe eye-in-the-sky package, including infrared
detection equipment and a power zoom camera. Filled with pride, the sheriff
summoned the media to a big photo-op last March to witness him and the drone
strutting their stuff. To add drama to this show of police power, Gage also had
his SWAT team attend in full riot regalia, positioning them in their “Bearcat,”
an armored vehicle.
Luckily,
the armored vehicle held up, so none of the SWAT teamers were injured. But what
a show! For one thing, the photo-op showed that if the American people don’t
stop the reckless rush by the police-industrial complex to deploy thousands of
domestic drones in the next few years, all of us had better be shopping for
Bearcats to drive.
Oh,
in case you’re also concerned that these spy machines will crash into our
Constitution and be used to invade our privacy rights, Sheriff Gage says not to
worry.
“No
matter what we do in law enforcement, somebody’s going to question it,” grumps
the Lone Star sheriff, “but we’re going to do the right thing, and I can assure
you of that.”
Hmmm.
How assured does that make you feel?
OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio commentator, writer, and
public speaker. He's also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown. OtherWords.org