Homeland Security To Test Domestic Drones

Just a short time after the AP produced a study indicating that nearly half of Americans support the idea of using domestic spying drones to assist in criminal investigations (like the powers-that-be would only use drones for that purpose), Wired is reporting that DHS is planning "domestic security" training ops using small unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles:

In the coming months, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, will become a proving ground to learn what small surveillance drones can add to "first responder, law enforcement, and border security scenarios," according to a recent solicitation to the country's various drone manufacturers.

First of all, the use of federal assets in domestic law enforcement affairs is a direct violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which was created to limit federal enforcement of local and state laws. If I were an attorney general, I'd look to sue the federal government based on this fact. (Alan Wilson of South Carolina, looking your way. Yes, Alan is the son of Joe "You lie!" Wilson and just crazy enough to do something about this.)

Secondly, if small federal drones are used domestically, the public will eventually become accustomed to (and comfortable with) seeing them flying around. Then, eventually, they'll acquiesce to the use of full-scale drones. This sets a very bad precedent. Call me a "doomsdayer", but history shows that governments turn against their people when inflation skyrockets. It happened in Rome, it happened in France, and it could happen here. (The Fed has already warned us of "explosive inflation".) Imagine if military drones were already flying around the day when the first shot is fired at an American civilian.

Hopefully, the day will never come when the federal government turns on us. But we have to prepare for this possibility by urging our representatives to uphold Posse Comitatus and keep our skies free of these damn drones.