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"Congress should outlaw drone strikes."" Commentary, by
Francine Dempsey with photos of April 23rd anti-drone
demonstration, by Jon Flanders
By mickielynn on 2014-05-01 07:23:22
[caption id="attachment_5838" align="aligncenter" width="480"]
Stop Killer Drones, April 23, 2014, photo by Jon
Flanders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5839" align="aligncenter" width="540"]
E = Drone replica on corner of Wolf Road
with some of the demonstrators. Photo by Jon Flanders{/caption] [caption id="attachment_5852" align="aligncenter"
width="374"]
Jon Flanders[/caption]
-. Holding the other side of Central Avenue, photo by
Drones are like vigilantes or lynching parties — lawless and cowardly.
They use brute power to kill the powerless. The powerful choose who is right and who is wrong; the powerless have no
ability to defend themselves with arms or due process. Oh, sometimes the killers make mistakes, but their intentions are
pure, aren't they? In "Living Under Drones," Stanford University's drone experts write: "Drones hover 24 hours a day over
communities ... striking homes, vehicles and public places without warning. Their presence terrorizes men, women, and
children ....[who] face the constant worry that a deadly strike may be fired at any moment, and the knowledge that they are
powerless to protect themselves." Where do drones hover? In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Mali — poverty-
ridden, weak Third-World nations from whom we don't have to worry about retaliation, over terror suspects who have no
defensive arms, no chance to say, "Wait, let's talk, maybe I'm innocent." Or, "Wait, this is a wedding party, not a
terrorist meeting." No wonder drone strikes recruit more terrorists than they kill. Yet, meanwhile, the president bravely aims
drones at America's nameless foes in a nameless war. The foundation of American civilization is the rule of law. To date,
four drone victims were American citizens. President Barack Obama justified executing American Anwar Awlaki without
due process because he was a long-time terrorist. He did not mention the drone killing of Mr. Awlaki's innocent teenage son.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs justified this death by saying the boy "should have had a far more responsible father." These
actions trample the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process for all citizens. In 1992, the U.S. ratified the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which outlawed extra-territorial attacks by any country. While America claims that
this prohibition does not apply to drone use in the "War on Terror," the U.N. says drone strikes violate the legal and human
rights of victims. While Congress in 2001 did say America must pursue the perpetrators of 9/11, today's drone victims are
not those perpetrators. Congress must take a stand on America's current illegal and immoral drone killings. During April and
May, there will be lobbying, rallies and protests by "we the people" to speak out on this disturbing, secret war and its
violations of international and national law. Americans need to tell Obama his drone warfare is un-American. Francine
Dempsey is a Sister of St. Joseph and a member of Women against War. Editor's note: This outstanding commentary first
appeared in the Times Union opinion pages on Friday, April 25, 2014 If you want to see all of Jon Flanders' 26 photos of the
April 23rd demonstration you can find the link to his galleries here. [caption id="attachment_5840" align="aligncenter"
width="540"] Some of the Sisters of
Saint Joseph on Central Avenue, photo by Jon Flanders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5842" align="aligncenter"
United National Antiwar Coalition
wow UNACESCe.OTE Org
width="540" a i SS oe activists,
politicians and grandmothers say y "Stop Drone Attacks’. Photo by Jon Flanders{/caption] [caption id="attachment_5844"
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AGAINST
DRONES
align="aligncenter" width="540"] ee “ | eet a Fly
Kites not Drones, photo by Jon Flanders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5845" align="aligncenter" width="482"]
Trudy of Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, photo
by Jon Flanders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_ 5847" align="aligncenter" width="600"
"= Dan, poet and Veteran for
Peace, photo by Jon Flanders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5848" align="aligncenter" width="479"]
Joe and Pat, two amazing, long term activists for
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[
/caption] Mai id:
Panoramic view of the
demonstration, photo by Jon Flanders[/caption]
