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AUVSI rejects calls for unlawful destruction of UAS
May 18, 2012 By Carey Fredericks
May 18, 2012, Arlington, Va. - Today, the Association for Unmanned
Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) released the following statement
from President & CEO Michael Toscano in response to recent
depictions in the media that put the unlawful destruction of unmanned
aerial systems in a positive light:
“To advocate for people to shoot down any object from U.S. airspace is
irresponsible, dangerous and unlawful. Unmanned aerial systems are being
designed to serve the public good, such as helping search and rescue
officers find missing children, monitor weather and wildlife, provide
disaster relief and respond to emergencies, as they did in the Fukushima
nuclear crisis in Japan last year. The myriad of important uses will be
imperiled if they become targets. Meanwhile, the suggestion that
Americans take up arms against unmanned aircraft also endangers citizens
on the ground.
“AUVSI welcomes civil discussions about privacy and the proper uses of
unmanned aircraft, but it cannot and does not condone violence against
technology intended to keep citizens safe while saving taxpayer
dollars.”
Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer recently stated that unmanned
aircraft should be banned entirely in the United States, and said that
“I would predict — I’m not encouraging, but I would predict, the first
guy who uses a Second Amendment weapon to bring down a drone that’s
hovering over his house is gonna be a folk hero in this country.”
The NBC television show “Harry’s Law” also recently portrayed its main
character shooting down a “drone” in just such a situation.
