Judge, Jury, and Executioner

H.B. 602, a dangerous bill that will allow law enforcement drones to be equipped with chemical weapons, passed committee at the end of 2015 and is on the calendar for a vote in the State House this week.

Police drones equipped with any kind of weapons should be banned in New Hampshire.

Sponsored by Representative Neal Kurk, H.B. 602 allows law enforcement drones to be armed with lachrymatory agents – a chemical weapon used for “crowd control” that is prohibited in warfare under several international treaties.

Use of these chemical agents can cause severe eye, respiratory, and skin irritation, pain, vomiting, blindness. . . and even DEATH.

This is unacceptable in a free society – it’s a recipe for disaster with tragic consequences in real life.

It’s URGENT you contact your state representative TODAY and demand they vote NO on H.B. 602 or any other bill that allows weaponized drones in New Hampshire.

Will they want to arm drones with guns and grenades next?

The harm that could ensue as a result of human error is almost unimaginable – just think of the potential “collateral damage” from an armed drone dropping lachrymatory agents or firing at a suspect in a crowded place…

According to recent reports, 90% of the casualties of armed drones overseas were not the intended target.

But it gets worse.

Technology is currently being developed that would leave the decision of targets to search and destroy to Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to University of California at Berkeley Professor Stuart Russell.

With these powers, the detection of an “alleged” wanted person could someday lead to termination by a drone – without any human interaction at all.

And according to Professor Russell, this technology will be ready in “years – not decades.”

With this technology, the state would never have to prove a suspect’s guilt to a jury before executing him.

No judge. No jury. No burden of proof.

That may sound far-fetched, but then, armed drones over your neighborhood peering into your windows seemed outlandish not so long ago.

Weaponized drones over America’s parks and bedroom communities do not serve the public interest. Local and state law enforcement agents are sworn to protect and serve citizens, not to equip for war against them.

That’s why it’s CRITICAL you contact your state representative TODAY and demand they vote NO on H.B. 602 or any other bill that allows weaponized drones in New Hampshire.

Tell your state representative to terminate state use of killer drones before it’s too late.