August 2, 2012
Protecting privacy and the right to due process is not a right/left issue and things aren’t always as cut and dried as they may seem. Conservatives do worry about civil liberties and sometimes the ACLU even works with gun rights groups on mutual causes.
I applaud this “strange bedfellow” pairing!
Reported by the Tenth Amendment Center;
VA Lawmaker to Introduce Domestic Drone Regulation Bill
By Joe Wolverton
What could bring together the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and one of Virginia’s most conservative state representatives? The specter of drones filling the skies of the United States. In a joint statement released July 17 by Virginia Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) and the Virginia Chapter of the ACLU, the seemingly disparate pair announced plans to work to fight the unregulated use of drones by law enforcement in the Old Dominion. He stated,
Both the ACLU and I believe, as do many Virginians across the political spectrum, that the use of drones by police and other government agencies should be strictly controlled by state laws that protect the privacy and civil rights of all Virginia residents. I will be introducing legislation in the 2013 General Assembly Session to i) prohibit the use of drones by law enforcement unless a warrant has been issued; ii) require that policies and procedures for the use of drones be adopted by legislative bodies in open meetings; iii) provide for public monitoring and accountability; and iv) mandate that pictures of individuals acquired by drones be destroyed unless they are part of an authorized investigation.
Another good start…