A Rsponse by John Villasenor to the thread "DISTURBING EDITORIAL"

[john e. holliday]

The ballot box means nothing now.  Check the numbers on the last so called presidential election.

[Randy Cuberly]

Where do we find those numbers, Doc?

Dale,
They're running the White House!!!

As for numbers...remember these guys are from Chicago!

Randy C.

[Sean McEntee]

As a general aviation pilot and modeler,I really don't like the idea of unpiloted drones in our airspace.
To me,this is just a foot in the door for government surveillance over the people of this REPUBLIC we call the USA.
Wake up folks......

       UAVs aren't "unpiloted".  And as a UAV operator AND a student pilot, Im interested in how the FAA will fix the issue of sUAS in class E with the rest of the GA traffic.  The bigger stuff that fly at high altitudes wont be a big issue, and will fall under IFR pretty easily.

       UAVs are far cheaper to operate and maintain than helicopters.  This opens the door for smaller-budget police, fire, search and rescue, state park departments to have the capabilities of a helicopter at a fraction of the price.  There is also a vast number of applications of UAS in other areas: Border protection (already in use in limited capacity), agriculture, meteorology, and so on.  A friend and former Army UAVer is studying geology at Baylor, and there is allot of talk of using UAVs in geology--couldnt tell you what but that's what I hear.

       As for the subject of "government surveillance over the people of this REPUBLIC we call the USA", its pretty much the same case as that as flying surveillance missions in Iraq or Afghanistan, which I have done 3 times.  Imagery collection is a very lengthy and time-consuming process, which is best spent on criminally suspected targets.  I'm not concerned about some random Iraqi or Afghan walking to the market or the mosque.  Its impossible to watch everyone and draw any educated conclusion of who is doing "bad stuff" and who isn't.  Its the same in the states.  PDs wont have a whole lot of interest in John Q. Civilian tinkering on his lawnmower in his back yard.  That kind of ISR is cost prohibitive.  Their time will probably be mostly spent on highways: clocking speeders, snapping pictures of vehicles and license plates, and dropping speeding tickets in the mail.  Or taking over in high speed chase situations...cant outrun something that flies, and would be much safer then a vehicular persuit.

      Bottom line is, why worry so much about something like that?  If you really want to hide from Big Brother and his flying camera, check out the Discovery Channel show "Doomsday Bunker"  For around 100,000 bucks, you can build a self-sustaining, totally secure underground bunker with all of the comforts of home.  If shooting it down is your answer, as some have stated on this forum before, good luck with that.  Even sUAVs fly around 1,000 ft off the deck, are invisible to the naked eye and totally silent.  Even if you get lucky and hit it, you are not only guilty of destroying property whether gov't or privately owned, but you are also liable for any damage that the falling debris causes, and in the event it injures or kills someone, can be charged with attempted or involuntary manslaughter.  So just don't worry about it.  Odds are, I will be retired from the Army by the time all of this comes to fruition, and working for one of those previously mentioned organizations.  I promise, on my mothers honor, I wont take pictures of you in your underwear as you go out to get the newspaper....

[Mike Keville]

. . .I wont take pictures of you in your underwear as you go out to get the newspaper....

Whew!  THAT'LL keep a lot of folks from losing their breakfast.      

[Sean McEntee]

Whew!  THAT'LL keep a lot of folks from losing their breakfast.      

      Ill be sure to keep an eye out for you though, Mikey

[Randy Snow]

Wake Up -- this situation is serious - DEAD serious as in RIP this hobby of ours -- In Michigan the gov. has appointed managers who go into communities and eliminate the elected officers - rendering the vote  a meaningless joke - then there are these voter restriction laws being enacted in order to repress the vote - taking the right to vote away - It begins in the states  --Special interest groups and the politicians they own(right wing SOBs and left wing SOBs) take the PEOPLE down into that pit of FEAR thru which their agenda is carried out - All this talk here will have no effect  in the world out side of this forum -- the general population has NO idea what this hobby is nor does nor do they care - ALL they will hear is the voice of the ignorant stupidity of FEAR being put forth by ignorant stupidity -- If no collective voice speaks out thru the "media" about the actuality of this situation ALL will be lost -- The "seeds" planted by the uninformed opinion thru the editorial will - if not up rooted and put to death by the opinion maker himself - will find a life of their own and bring to finality that which what they were set in motion to accomplish - that being the FEAR of something that does not exist - Free speech is a constitutional right but if not tempered with wisdom becomes an ugly monster - Without accurate knowledge this opinion has started a fire - without any wisdom shown by the opinion maker this "the greatest hobby ever" will need to defend itself before those who don't know and don't care -- The line of FEAR is that this hobby will be used as a weapon of destruction - and that ALL needs tobe done to prevent this from happening -- have we forgot how such FEAR of WMD put forth by Bush-Channey-Rumsfeld has wasted thousands of precious lives - wasted resources that can't be replaced - at a cost that has rendered a tremendous burden upon this country? All because of the pit of FEAR that THE PEOPLE were lead down - and now another road of FEAR is being paved and this hobby - if voices are NOT raised in the PUBLIC forum may will possibly be put to death -- These words spoken by the opinion maker in a public forum are no greater and no less than those spoken by others  which have brought about resulted in - making ones vote a meaningless joke - repress ones right to vote - shot to kill first and no questions later - repress womens rights - repress workers collective bargaining rights - repress our right to a safe and clean environment/world to live in -- this may sound to some as being over the top - but it's not - from what seems to have been a meaningless opinion expressed has come worst -- Those who find themselves within this "the greatest of hobbies" to have a respected platform from which to make this hobbies case before the PUBLIC in any and all forms need to do so -- This hobby doesn't have a body of lobbyist nor the money - but this hobby does have voices - and an ability to get involved with their communities - in the PUBLICS eye - FEAR is what has been voiced - a slanderous FEAR - an unwarranted FEAR - and FEAR is a serious poison - if not dealt with it will bring about that which those in this hobby so fervently don't want -- intrusion -- first it will come from state government --then the poison will seep into the federal level -- look around at whats happening on the state level across this nation -- it's scary -- it's overtly intrusive -- it's how government gets big -- and honestly it's coming from the loonitic fringe and these are the ones who claim smaller government  and are the ones who with out knowing what they are doing will " put a hurt" on this "the greatest of hobbies"

[Randy Cuberly]

Wake Up -- this situation is serious - DEAD serious as in RIP this hobby of ours -- In Michigan the gov. has appointed managers who go into communities and eliminate the elected officers - rendering the vote  a meaningless joke - then there are these voter restriction laws being enacted in order to repress the vote - taking the right to vote away - It begins in the states  --Special interest groups and the politicians they own(right wing SOBs and left wing SOBs) take the PEOPLE down into that pit of FEAR thru which their agenda is carried out - All this talk here will have no effect  in the world out side of this forum -- the general population has NO idea what this hobby is nor does nor do they care - ALL they will hear is the voice of the ignorant stupidity of FEAR being put forth by ignorant stupidity -- If no collective voice speaks out thru the "media" about the actuality of this situation ALL will be lost -- The "seeds" planted by the uninformed opinion thru the editorial will - if not up rooted and put to death by the opinion maker himself - will find a life of their own and bring to finality that which what they were set in motion to accomplish - that being the FEAR of something that does not exist - Free speech is a constitutional right but if not tempered with wisdom becomes an ugly monster - Without accurate knowledge this opinion has started a fire - without any wisdom shown by the opinion maker this "the greatest hobby ever" will need to defend itself before those who don't know and don't care -- The line of FEAR is that this hobby will be used as a weapon of destruction - and that ALL needs tobe done to prevent this from happening -- have we forgot how such FEAR of WMD put forth by Bush-Channey-Rumsfeld has wasted thousands of precious lives - wasted resources that can't be replaced - at a cost that has rendered a tremendous burden upon this country? All because of the pit of FEAR that THE PEOPLE were lead down - and now another road of FEAR is being paved and this hobby - if voices are NOT raised in the PUBLIC forum may will possibly be put to death -- These words spoken by the opinion maker in a public forum are no greater and no less than those spoken by others  which have brought about resulted in - making ones vote a meaningless joke - repress ones right to vote - shot to kill first and no questions later - repress womens rights - repress workers collective bargaining rights - repress our right to a safe and clean environment/world to live in -- this may sound to some as being over the top - but it's not - from what seems to have been a meaningless opinion expressed has come worst -- Those who find themselves within this "the greatest of hobbies" to have a respected platform from which to make this hobbies case before the PUBLIC in any and all forms need to do so -- This hobby doesn't have a body of lobbyist nor the money - but this hobby does have voices - and an ability to get involved with their communities - in the PUBLICS eye - FEAR is what has been voiced - a slanderous FEAR - an unwarranted FEAR - and FEAR is a serious poison - if not dealt with it will bring about that which those in this hobby so fervently don't want -- intrusion -- first it will come from state government --then the poison will seep into the federal level -- look around at whats happening on the state level across this nation -- it's scary -- it's overtly intrusive -- it's how government gets big -- and honestly it's coming from the loonitic fringe and these are the ones who claim smaller government  and are the ones who with out knowing what they are doing will " put a hurt" on this "the greatest of hobbies"

Say What?

UUUhhhh I think there is a little confusion in there as to whom is doing what?

Randy C.

[BrianW517]

  More Government no matter how small, in the beginning, grows and grows and grows  , and once the camels nose is under the tent  , and in no time at all,    the whole body is in the tent  , next to the elephant! America needs to wake up  and know they're neighbor's  and tell the propper authorities  , what is suspicious  , and stop hiding behind they're doors!  More & more Government, makes for more & more less privacy, & less freedom!    All that info: that the Government has on you, is now  is available to wekileaks, when ever wekileaks wants to hack into.  to get it! It's too late to obtain privacy of ID!  and more Government will NOT help you in the end, and you'll not be any safer for giving up more of your rights!

[Mike Keville]

Is this a model airplane forum or a sounding board for the tin foil hat/flat earth brigade?     

[Randy Powell]

While I think that this is typical over-reaction on the part of government (and others), I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist. Can we tone down the rampant paranoia?

[Douglas Ames]

<snip> Wake Up -- this situation is serious - DEAD serious as in RIP this hobby of ours -- In Michigan the gov. has appointed managers who go into communities and eliminate the elected officers - rendering the vote  a meaningless joke -

That one community is called "Detroit" Trust me...it will be an improvement. Chill brother, smell the castor and fondle the balsa between your fingers. It will be alright...