BY: LISA CUMMING
The United States Federal Government wants you to finally register your damn assault machines. THEY ARE A DANGER TO THE BIRDS.
But, seriously, what’s an assault rifle compared to the 1,280 grams of deadly power that the Phantom 3 Professional drone possesses?
As of February 2016 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (or as we lovingly call them, the FAA) wants all you miscreants with drones to have them registered on their “streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration.”
Registration opens on December 21st.
The FAA wants all you miscreants with drones to have them registered on their “streamlined and user-friendly web-based aircraft registration.”
“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”
If what Foxx said about a title being a great deal of responsibility wasn’t entirely hypocritical, people who identify by the title of gun-holder wouldn’t take their responsibilities so lightly. The idea of a person being allowed to carry a gun should, and does, terrify people. The argument “guns don’t kill, people kill” is not valid. It’s essentially like arguing “drones don’t annoy birds, the people who control the drones annoy birds.” Birds don’t give a literal flying fuck who is controlling the drone, they care that it’s buzzing in their bird faces.
So, my fellow aviators, with this in mind: are we now supposed to turn around and call all those gun-toters in Arizona, Vermont, Utah, Alaska, and Kentucky—the top five places to own a gun as ranked by Guns and Ammo magazine—cops or soldiers?
No, please. No.
Owning a gun is more of a responsibility than owning a drone. My flying a drone does not endanger lives, your carrying a gun does. You can run away from my drone but I cannot run away from your bullet.
The isolated act of asking drone users to register their drones is not a bad idea, but that act combined with the fact that some states allow citizens to carry concealed guns without permits is unacceptable. Following registration, implementing a “background check” is never far behind. Then, before you know it, owning a drone will be more difficult and regulated than owning a gun.
The United States has had three hundred and fifty three mass shootings this year. Four hundred and sixty two human lives have been taken and another one thousand three hundred and twelve people have been senselessly injured. The saddest part being that these numbers are not done going up.
When is the government going to tire of the correlation between how easy it is for people who are not mentally well to own guns and the devastating mass shootings that occur?
Three years ago twenty children died from gun violence at the hands of a psycho killer. Yet, three years later, there is still no nationwide gun registry. But, don’t worry guys you have a drone index. That should keep the children safe.
Image sources: aljazeera.com, wordpress.com
