Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Imagine Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – commonly called drones – patrolling the skies over your neighborhood, giving the state unfettered access to everything you do. Drones equipped with high-tech cameras can scan entire cities or zoom in and read your computer screen or paperwork sitting on your kitchen table. And there are thousands of them in the skies over America today. Now imagine those drones are armed with weapons, handing the operator on the ground – if there is one – the ability to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Terminator. Robocop. Judge Dredd. These dystopian films about the future of law enforcement are very entertaining to some, but they were never meant to become a reality. Unfortunately, House Bill 5274 was recently introduced in the Connecticut legislature, and it contains numerous exceptions to allow for drone surveillance without a warrant. But that’s not all. Representative Mary Mushinsky’s H.B. 5274 permits law enforcement to arm police drones with “lethal and non-lethal” weapons. You can reach Representative Mushinsky at 860.240.8585. Tell her H.B. 5274 is unacceptable in a free society – it’s a recipe for disaster with tragic consequences in real life. If this bill passes, American jurisprudence will be turned on its head and the presumption of innocence will cease to exist. It’s critical you contact your state representative TODAY and demand they actively oppose and vote “NO” on H.B. 5274. Click here for contact information. Patriot, the harm that could ensue as a result of human error is almost unimaginable – just think of the potential “collateral damage” from an armed drone firing at a suspect in a crowded place… But it gets worse. Technology is currently being developed that would leave the decision of targets to search and destroy to Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to University of California at Berkeley Professor Stuart Russell. With these powers, the detection of an “alleged” wanted person could lead to around-the-clock surveillance and even termination by a drone – without any human interaction at all. And according to Professor Russell, this technology will be ready in “years – not decades.” The state would never have to present any evidence of wrongdoing. No judge. No jury. No burden of proof. That may sound far-fetched, but then, armed drones over your neighborhood peering into your windows seemed outlandish not so long ago. Killer drones over Connecticut’s parks and bedroom communities do not serve the public interest. Local and state law enforcement are sworn to protect and serve citizens, not to equip for war against them. It’s vital you take immediate action to stop these killer drones in Connecticut. So please contact your state representative TODAY and demand they actively oppose and vote “NO” on H.B. 5274. Click here for contact information. Tell your state legislators to terminate the killer drone proposal before it’s too late.