SAN DIEGO, CA—The letter below, written on April 3, 2013, is part of national Veterans for Peace (VFP) campaign to educate people about the danger of drone technology. “VFP is a global organization of military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices.” VFP informs the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. The San Diego VFP Position on Drones can be found at www.sdvfp.org.
Senator Dianne Feinstein:
As a Veteran, and a member of Veterans For Peace, I am appalled at the abuse of Drone technology by our government on many fronts.
First, the President of the United States cannot have the power to assassinate anyone he pleases, in places where Congress has not declared war. These actions are in violation of the U.S. Constitution, and violate the guarantee of due process for American citizens. This abuse of power has to stop, and I implore you to revoke powers given to the President since 9-11 that allow such abuse.
Second, the projected sales of Drone technology to domestic law enforcement in the next decade is expected to be more than $10 Billion. Because we know this kind of money is not available in the coffers of our States, counties and municipalities, it is assumed that the transfer of Drone technology will be in the form of Homeland Security grants or direct technology transfer. I am frightened by the prospect of domestic law enforcement having access to thousands of Drones, with the potential for abuse and the formation of an Orwellian State. Therefore I ask that you and your colleagues move to block such transfers by passing a very simple bill that blocks the use of Federal Funds for the supply or transfer of Drone technology to Domestic Law Enforcement.
Third, because others will acquire this Drone technology, I ask that very stringent laws be passed restricting the surveillance of Americans property and personal movements without a warrant. There must also be restrictions on how long such surveillance information can be kept and restrictions on transfer of said information.
I believe that these three simple steps will put us on the road to an America where citizens can be assured of their rights to privacy and unreasonable search, and the President isn’t allowed to kill anyone, anywhere without oversight and a declaration of war.
Cordially, David K. Patterson
San Diego Veterans For Peace, www.sdvfp.org
