Introduction
I believe that people should have a positive view about technology. The standard beliefs of the society are that drones are used to carry out terrorism acts (Quintero 1). Additionally, many maintain a totally negative attitude towards emerging technologies claiming they interfere with normal human life and go against God’s teaching. The innovation of drones presents new and ethical issues that brought a lot of controversies from different leaders in religion, politics, and research. The complex nature of this issue requires a quick intervention in order to make the public understand the benefits of this technology in terms of maintaining security, conducting research and exploring the universe. There are some basic arguments for and against drones as explained by the author. The following argument represents the use of drones today focusing on advantages and disadvantages of the technology to the society today. In summary: Drones help researchers and scientists explore new ideas and places, help in surveillance for national security, and helps in the maintenance of crops and forestry among other benefits. On the contrary, drones are used by terrorists to carry explosive devices and are used to explore people’s privacy.
Claims against drones technology
Drones offer certain benefits to the society if used for the intended purposes. People have raised claims that drones naturally interfere with people’s privacy. According to Joshua Olson and Muhammad Rashid, drones act as robot aircrafts flying used by armies to conduct surveillance on different regions where enemies stay. The work of Olson and Rashid focused on military drones and the breach of individual ethics. The device takes marginal skills and expertise to design and operate, hence capable of performing a number of tasks that a normal human or aircraft cannot perform (2). Engineers and technologists could design a drone aimed at targeting individual through monitoring their movement in and out of the house. Monitoring a person without permission is a breach of ethics and is not acceptable in the society. Quintero claimed that currently every person can have access to drones and use them for whatever reason one wishes. Companies manufacturing drones have increased in number, and the business faces stiff competition from organizations, individuals, governments, and private sectors (Quintero 1).
Drones interfere with many types of privacy as explained by Roger Clarke. Clarke used the knowledge of individual privacy and ethics to write an article on the impacts of drone use in people’s privacy and liberties. The main privacy impacts of drones highlighted by Clarke included privacy of the physical person, personal communication, personal data, personal behavior, and personal experience. Human rights and civil liberties call for the ban of drones in the country claiming even the government does not use them for the intended official purposes. Additionally, the high-tech gadgets such as high definition cameras and powerful microphones coupled with high speed make the gadget more effective in getting information about a person within a fraction of a minute (Clarke 2). The availability of drones to people of all status gives teenagers the opportunity to fly drones close to their parents or friends window and take nude photos and videos without owner’s concern (Quintero 1).
There are also claims that drones are used to perform terrorist acts such as bombing, surveillance of possible targets, and acquiring information about national security to determine weaknesses of the security forces. The New York Police Department (NYPD) claims that terrorists plan to use drones to strike people in U.S. The issue has introduced many controversies over the intelligence of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). NYPD currently plans on responding to possible terror threats. CBS News quoted the NYPD Chief saying “We look at it as something that could be a terrorist tool,” referring to the drone. Great worry on technology advancement worried the whole police force because they thought their enemies were more technologically advanced. Additionally, NYPD saw the greatest threat in drones carrying explosives. A drone carrying a dummy explosive was tested by a team of experts. To the amusement of many, the drone landed right in the marked target. People wondered what could have happened to the society if the drone was coming from enemies, carrying the actual bomb (CBS News).
A report by CBS News created a lot of debates on the preparedness of the nation towards external attacks. People are ignorant of any unusual substance flying above them. According to NYPD Chief, people should be vigilant over what happens around them. People see drones surveilling different parts of the world but do not know the potential of that drone. The Chief was also quoted saying “you do not know what the intentions are, hostile, recreational; there’s a lot of different ways you can go with that.” On the other hand, claimed that there is not a single instance when the police will be seen running behind the drone to determine its intended motives (Quintero 2). The above argument explains why drone technology is a headache to the government.
Concerned parties have introduced many arguments claiming that enemies target civilians more than military, questioning the credibility of using drones in borders and not within the society. Military attacks involve one group against another, but in targeted attacks the drone controller picks off the target indiscriminately. The modern use of drones has taken a totally different course where most organizations and individuals use them to solve peace-time applications. Drone remains a new technology as long as its usage is concerned and leads to long-term consequences to the society and people controlling them. Additionally, the government requires setting up a team of experts to negotiate with the public and other stakeholders on this issue in order to give way for technology carryout its intended job. On the other hand, individuals and organizations using drone technology other than the military should be cautioned against misusing the object.
Claims on benefits of drones technology
Despite the negative argument on the uses of drones, the technology offers many benefits to the same society that rejects them. Quintero argued that drone use in military operations assists in coping crimes and terrorism. Technologically advanced countries like the United States of America, Russia, China, and Iran among many others have benefited from drone technology. U.S. Navy uses drones to trace wrong doers by navigating them through their hideouts. For example, drone technology was used by U.S. army to trace the hideouts of Osama Bin Laden, the former al-Qaeda leader (Crilly). People claiming that drones should be withdrawn from the nation should discover their advantages from the above example. Additionally, drones are used for security purposes like monitoring movements of vehicles assumed to contain explosive devices. Normal aircrafts cannot manage to navigate through thick bushes and corners, buildings and even inside caves. Drone technology acts as the best option for the government to navigate and gather useful information transmitted directly to the government security center (Guma 1).
On the other hand, the availability of affordable drones to the market has improved the work of researchers. “The use of drones by civilians and scientists was delayed because of the high cost of buying these devices” (Quintero 2). After the government accepted use of drones to the civilians and licensed companies to manufacture, sell and distribute drones to the public and organization most people started using the technology. NASA and other scientific bodies started using drones for high-altitude measurements where they could gather useful information about the universe. Additionally, drones brought revolution to the present society through making work easier for researchers. For example, astronauts can easily monitor things happening in the sky using drone technology. The drone captures images and information about the stars, moon, and the solar system, communicates with the satellites and delivers information to a scientist seated in an office (Watts, Ambrosia and Hinkey 1687).
People claiming about the negative impacts of drones in the society should travel to different places across the world and how drone technology promotes agriculture and forestry. In the modern society, innovations are the order of the day. Every sector has a team of experts’ working day-in day-out to produce new devices. Agriculture is one of the most sensitive sectors in the world that require effective management in order to ensure food availability to the society. Quintero argued that the low cost of drones has extended their uses to maintenance of crops and forests; however the government is cautioned on regulating the use of airspace. Presence of these and many other technologies improve the well-being of the society, and not depriving off people’s rights. Mid-sized, commercially used drones have found application in Japan, Australia, and other developed nations for agricultural spraying operations. Additionally, they are used in remote sensing to determine different weather conditions favorable for crop growth in the crop field (Watts, Ambrosia and Hinkey 1677-1678).
Drones also help in environment conservation especially in monitoring operations in the forest. Advanced countries and even developing countries are using drones technology to record happenings in major forests. The technology helps conserve forests because drones capture and record every activity and sends a signal to the relevant authorities who take the necessary action. On the other hand, some drones have more advanced technologies that allow them to shoot people suspected to be destroying the environment eliminating any human intervention.
Conclusion
The above claims represent views of people and cannot be ignored because one benefit to a person is a disadvantage to another. Technology has introduced a lot of controversies especially to people still holding to their traditions and cultures. People opposing the application of technology in the present regime should re-evaluate their thoughts and ideas and focus on the positive side of technology. Additionally, the author’s ideas give more of incitement rather that helping people out of their ignorance. The author should have used a more analytical approach to show the strengths of technology outdo limitations. Establishing the view of people helps in confronting them to think positively about the issue of discussion.
Works Cited
Quintero, S. Drones. December 4, 2014.
CBS News. "The U.S. Navy Says Stealth Drones Could Be Used to Attack Enemy Planes." Io9.
29 Oct. 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://io9.com/the-u-s-navy-says-stealth-drones-could-be-used-to-atta-1522956323>.
Clarke, R. Managing Drone’s privacy and civil liberties impacts. Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd.
July 21, 2014. Web December 4, 2014
http://www.rogerclarke.com/SOS/Drones-PCLI.html
Crilly, R. Osama bin Laden dead: US used new Predator and Reaper drones to track al-Qaeda
leader. The Telegraph.Web December 4, 2014 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8521561/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-US-used-new-Predator-and-Reaper-drones-to-track-al-Qaeda-leader.html
Guma, G. Drones and Law Enforcement in America: The Unmanned Police Surveillance State.
Global Research: Center for Research and Globalization. Web December 4, 2014 http://www.globalresearch.ca/drones-and-law-enforcement-in-america-the-unmanned-police-surveillance-state/5330984
Watts, A. C., Ambrosia, V. G., and Hinkley, E. A. “Unmanned aircraft systems in remote
sensing and scientific research: Classification and consideration of use.” Remote Sens, 2012.4. (2012). 1671-1692
