<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<br>
<div class="moz-forward-container"><br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject:
</th>
<td>[ufpj-activist] First City in U.S. Passes Anti-Drone
Resolution</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 5 Feb 2013 00:36:07 -0500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>David Swanson <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:davidcnswanson@gmail.com"><davidcnswanson@gmail.com></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>David Swanson <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:david@davidswanson.org"><david@davidswanson.org></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<h1 class="with-tabs">First City in U.S. Passes Resolution Against
Drones</h1>
By David Swanson<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://warisacrime.org/firstantidrone">http://warisacrime.org/firstantidrone</a>
<br>
<p>Shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, February 4th, the City Council
of Charlottesville, Va., passed what is believed to be the first
anti-drone resolution in the country. According to my notes,
and verifiable soon on the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?page=15">City
Council's website</a>, the resolution reads:</p>
<div class="section">
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size:12.000000pt;font-family:'Times New
Roman'">"WHEREAS, the rapid implementation of drone
technology throughout the United States poses a serious
threat to the privacy and constitutional rights of the
American people, including the residents of
Charlottesville; and</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12.000000pt;font-family:'Times New
Roman'">"WHEREAS, the federal government and the
Commonwealth of Virginia have thus far failed to provide
reasonable legal restrictions on the use of drones within
the United States; and </span></p>
</blockquote>
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size:12.000000pt;font-family:'Times
New Roman'">"WHEREAS, police departments throughout
the country have begun implementing drone technology
absent any guidance or guidelines from law makers; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12.000000pt;font-family:'Times
New Roman'">"NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that
the City Council of Charlottesville, Virginia,
endorses the proposal for a two year moratorium on
drones in the state of Virginia; and calls on the
United States Congress and the General Assembly of the
Commonwealth of Virginia to adopt legislation
prohibiting information obtained from the domestic use
of drones from being introduced into a Federal or
State court, and precluding the domestic use of drones
equipped with anti-personnel devices, meaning any
projectile, chemical, electrical, directed-energy
(visible or invisible), or other device designed to
harm, incapacitate, or otherwise negatively impact a
human being; and pledges to abstain from similar uses
with city-owned, leased, or borrowed drones." </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The same City Council passed a <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://warisacrime.org/content/charlottesville-va-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-war-iran">resolution</a>
on January 17, 2012, calling for an end to drone wars, as
well as ground wars, excessive military spending, and any
possible attack on Iran.<img moz-do-not-send="true" alt=""
src="http://warisacrime.org/sites/afterdowningstreet.org/files/510f0849525fe.image_.jpg"
style="width: 760px; height: 531px; margin: 10px;"></p>
<p>(Photo by Ted Strong of <em>Daily Progress</em>)</p>
<p>The wording of Monday's resolution comes largely from a
draft suggested by the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.charlottesvillepeace.org/node/3916">Rutherford
institute</a>. An initial line was deleted and two
amendments were made to the final paragraph, one endorsing
a two-year moratorium on drones (something that had passed
in committee in both houses of the Virginia legislature as
of Saturday in the House and Monday in the Senate), the
other committing the City not to use drones for
surveillance or assault.</p>
<p>The wording was not as comprehensive as the draft that
had appeared in the City Council's official agenda for
Monday's meeting, a draft I had authored. See it <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.charlottesville.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=24517">here</a>
in the city agenda or on my <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://warisacrime.org/content/new-model-drone-resolution">website</a>. </p>
<p>At the previous meeting of the City Council on January 7,
2013, I and a few other residents had spoken in support of
a resolution, and three of the five city council members
agreed to put it on the agenda for the February 4th
meeting. Some of the public comments were excellent, and
the video of the meeting is on the city's <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://charlottesville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2">website</a>. </p>
<p>On Monday, citizens speaking in favor of the anti-drone
resolution dominated the public speaking period at the
beginning of the meeting, shortly after 7 p.m. Many were
quite eloquent, and the video will be available soon on
the city's site. The council members did not discuss and
vote on the matter until shortly after 11 p.m. The
discussion was quite brief, coming on the heels of hours
devoted to other matters. </p>
<p>The same three city council members who had put the item
on the agenda voted in favor of the resolution, passing it
by a vote of 3-2. They were Dave Norris, Dede Smith, and
Satyendra Sing Huja. Norris and Smith negotiated the
slight improvements to the Rutherford Institute's draft
with Huja, who initially favored passing that draft as it
was written. Norris and Smith favored banning the City
from purchasing drones, but Council Member Kristin Szakos
argued that there might be a positive use for a drone
someday, such as for the fire department. Kathy Galvin
joined Szakos in voting No.</p>
<p>Norris has been a leader on the City Council for years
and sadly will not be running for reelection at the end of
his current term.</p>
<p>Following the January meeting, I submitted my draft to
the city, asked people to phone and email the council
members, published a <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/opinion/guest_columnists/article_5205429c-6d4b-11e2-8c9a-001a4bcf6878.html">column</a>
in the local daily newspaper, and organized an event in
front of City Hall on Sunday, the day before the vote.
Anti-drone activist John Heuer from North Carolina
delivered a giant model drone produced by New York
anti-drone activist Nick Mottern. Our little stunt
produced coverage on the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nbc29.com/story/20952604/group-speaks-out-in-support-of-anti-drone-resolution">two</a>
television <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/City-Council-to-Vote-on-Anti-Drone-Resolution-Monday-189588681.html">channels</a>
and in the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/article_879353ac-6e65-11e2-8a9b-0019bb30f31a.html">newspaper</a>.
I asked people to commit to attending the meeting on a
FaceBook <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.facebook.com/events/469576039773062">page</a>.
The room ended up packed, and when I asked those who
supported the resolution to stand, most of the room did
so.</p>
<p>No organized pro-drone lobby ever developed. We met and
confronted the argument that localities shouldn't lobby
states or Washington. And, of course, some people are
opposed to drones in the United States but eager to see
them used however the President may see fit abroad.
Charlottesville's City Council ended up not including the
section in my draft that instructed the federal government
to end its practice of extrajudicial killing. But there
was no discussion on that point, and several other
sections, including one creating a local ordinance, were
left out as well. The problem there, according to Smith,
was that "we don't own the air."</p>
<p>Yet, we should. And Oregon is attempting to do so with
its draft state legislation.</p>
<p>In the past, Charlottesville has passed resolutions that
have inspired other localities and impacted federal and
state policies. Let us hope this one is no exception.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
<p>David Swanson's books include "<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://warisalie.org/" target="_blank">War Is A Lie</a>."
He blogs at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://davidswanson.org/"
title="http://davidswanson.org" target="_blank">http://davidswanson.org</a>
and <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://warisacrime.org/"
title="http://warisacrime.org" target="_blank">http://warisacrime.org</a>
and works for <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://rootsaction.org/" title="http://rootsaction.org"
target="_blank">http://rootsaction.org</a>. He hosts <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://davidswanson.org/taxonomy/term/41"
target="_blank">Talk Nation Radio</a>. Follow him on Twitter:
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://twitter.com/davidcnswanson" target="_blank">@davidcnswanson</a>
and <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Swanson/297768373319#"
target="_blank">FaceBook</a>. <br>
Activist alerts: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Activists-subscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Activists-unsubscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><br>
Articles (which can be republished with link and credit) <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Media-subscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Media-unsubscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><br>
Press releases: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Reporters-subscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Reporters-unsubscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><br>
Washington DC press advisories: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:DCmedia-subscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:DCmedia-unsubscribe@lists.mayfirst.org?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><br>
Charlottesville VA press releases: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:cvillemedia-subscribe@lists.people-link.net?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:cvillemedia-unsubscribe@lists.people-link.net?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a><br>
Charlottesville VA activist alerts: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:cville-activism-subscribe@lists.people-link.net?subject=subscribe&body=subscribe"
target="_blank">subscribe</a> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:cville-activism-unsubscribe@lists.people-link.net?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe"
target="_blank">unsubscribe</a></p>
<br>
</div>
<br>
</body>
</html>