Friday, December 27, 2024

The Day of the Drone

   The Day of the Drone has arrived. Much to my disgust.

Drones have come a long way since the British produced a radio-controlled aircraft/drone to be used in target practice in 1935. It was nicknamed the Queen Bee.

In the 1960's a drone called Firebee, a jet-powered target for both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, was produced for the US Air Force. Advances for aircraft without a human pilot has rapidly grown popular worldwide.

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When did drones become available to the public?

In 2006 the FAA decided to let the drone genie loose to the general public - a mistake in my opinion back then and now - and issued the first drone permits in America. The inventors touted the potential of non-military drone applications in society from entertainment to commerce. Capitalists exploited this new technology turning it into a billion-dollar industry home and abroad. 

Here are eight drone-related risks:

* Airspace Threats.

* Vehicles for Weapons

* Low-Tech Corporate Espionage

* Hi-Tech Corporate Espionage

* Smuggling.

* Collisions.

* The difficulty in enforcing the rules.

* Drone-Based Hacking.

To no one's surprise the US possesses the most drones in the world. US military drones lead in capabilities and quantities with over 13000 unmanned aerial vehicles making it the largest military drone fleet globally.

In America, police started using drones in December 2015 and the program evolved into a "first responder" technology making it the first of its kind in the country. Good news.

But American drones have their dark side.

Public records show the FBI, DEA, and Border Patrol often use Predator drones in surveillance missions in the United States. These agencies share their drones with state and local police with alarming frequency. They have also been in violation of the 4th Amendment according to the courts that found citizens have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their own homes.

I don't like drones. At least six states agree with me and have banned them in their airspace, a move I heartly applaud: Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.

Drones recently in the News

At first in mid-November, mysterious lights were seen blinking across the night skies over New Jersey and as weeks passed by there were reports of incandescent flying objects were logged in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

People were freaked out - and still are - because the government doesn't really know why all of those sightings keep happening and what they are. Thousands of reports pour in every day. In a lame ass excuse Secretary Mayorkas told ABC News that the uptick in drone sightings could be to do with a change in federal law last year that allowed drones to be flown at night.

Really? All of a sudden, we get swarms of drones over military installations and other government agencies because...of a new law enacted a year ago? It's no wonder people are talking about shooting drones down. They feel violated. The FAA manages US airspace, but they haven't offered any proof that the drones aren't a threat to the public as of this writing.

As it Stands, call me a conspiracy theorist but my years as a journalist taught me to question many of the government's programs and agencies and not be surprised when they lie.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Try to Imagine Peace: Hope for the Holidays

"Imagine there's no countries

it isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion, too

Imagine all the people livin' life in peace..."

-John Lennon

When I got out of the Army in 1971 John Lennon released the song Imagine and it's been one of my favorite songs since. Every Christmas I find myself listening to it as I look at the chaotic world around me.

John Lennon was accused of being a dreamer, but I must confess to being one too. Worldwide peace would be the greatest gift ever to mankind. Who's to say that one day mankind will overcome the hatred and ban wars? I know it's not probable however that doesn't mean it's impossible.

There are numerous organizations and charities that help poor Americans and immigrants in their struggle to survive. Providing hope is the first step towards a more peaceful world. 

There's an organization called Global Refuge that serves vulnerable immigrants and refugee communities across the United States that also provides hope to millions of people throughout the world. 

Formed in 1939 Global Refuge (then National Lutheran Council) provided assistance and services for refugees from Germany and Eastern Europe. Since then, there have been many crises that forced our global neighbors to leave their homes. 

From Hungarians (photo above circa 1939) to immigrants from South America, wars in Uganda, Vietnam, The Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and more, Global Refugee has been providing hope for 80 years.

There are numerous charities worldwide that provide hope for the holidays throughout the year. 

Here's the top 12 charities giving hope to millions, as compiled by The Giving Back website this year:

1. Habitat for Humanity International

2. CARE

3. Bay Area Community Services, Inc.

4. New York Street Project

5. Lifting Hands International

6. Project Hawaii

7. Entryway

8. Refuge for Women

9. Breakthrough

10. Oxfam America

11. The Life You Can Save

12. Save the Children

You can Google any of the above should you wish to make a donation or just to learn more about an organization.

Charities and other service organizations will not bring peace to the world however, but the hope they provide is part of the foundation needed to establish peace on the planet - when everyone's needs are met there's no need to go to war.

Imagine if all the industrialized nations had leaders who promoted peace and solved conflicts through civilized negotiations. It would be mankind's salvation. And the earth's too, as everyone would agree to fight climate change so that future generations wouldn't be doomed to living in wastelands with toxic air.

HOPE. It's a big four-letter word. Like LOVE. They go together. 

As it Stands, I wish you joyous and peaceful holidays! 

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