War Drones Tour Comes To Brooklyn

Apr 12, 2012 The first day of three days of a Know Drones Tour of Brooklyn was a success. A thousand flyers were distributed to passers-by who were attracted by 1/5 scale model of a Reaper war drone. That's the pilotless craft that has been deployed in Afghanistan and Pakistan and in many other countries. These aircraft cost $29 million each and are the vanguard of an entirely new type of weapons production. Critics say they are taking us toward "war by remote control," depersonalizing the destruction and turning the taking of lives into a video game. Recent legislation allows the use of these pilotless craft over U.S. airspace and critics say this will open the floodgates to aerial surveillance of Americans as we go about our daily lives. Congress should be closely monitoring and restricting this costly new technology which will cost more billions of dollars in the years ahead. Once again, questions of spending priorities are being raised: why is there no money for decent schools, jobs programs, affordable housing and health care but limitless billions for endless wars and super-costly weapons programs? Congress now has a Drone Caucus. It shamelessly proclaims itself as "the voice of the industry" in Congress. A Brooklyn House member, Edolphus Towns (10th CD) has joined that caucus and constituents demand his resignation as they ask him why he is representing war contractors instead of the urgent needs of the voters he was sworn to defend." The Know Drones tour continues Friday, April 13th, with tables in front of Trader Joe's (Atlantic and Court Street) from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and on Saturday, April 14th, with tables at both farmers markets in Grand Army Plaza and Fort Greene Park. Saturday's tables will be set up from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The tour culminates with a public meeting at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, beginning at 3:30. Speakers include Code Pink's Medea Benjamin who has just published a book on the subject: Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control.