Gongol.com Archives: December 2024
December 17, 2024
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have published a joint statement telling the people of New Jersey to stop panicking over rumors of drones flying overhead. It's no small dismissal for them to say, "There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space." ■ Panics happen from time to time, and it's not especially surprising that people are looking into the sky at night and misinterpreting what they see. Lots of airplanes are flying overhead, almost all of the time. Especially along the Eastern Seaboard. ■ What we don't need is a nation full of Yosemite Sams firing off their guns (or even their high-powered lasers) at things they don't understand. ■ The United States certainly does need a sensible, well-calibrated approach to protecting civilians (especially at large gatherings) from the hazards of malicious uncrewed aerial vehicles. Ukraine has demonstrated just how useful drones can be in combat operations. ■ But vigilante behavior is virtually always in error, and the odds are much too great that Americans taking matters into their own hands (including members of Congress). Almost everything can be given a reasonable explanation to those who are reasonable enough to listen. We don't need the unreasonable among us taking amateur anti-aircraft potshots.
