By Nana Royer for St. Augustine.

Editor: A very disturbing, infuriating, informative film was shown at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship last night (Mon., Nov 25): “Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars,”, sponsored by Pax Christ and Amnesty International. All of our citizenry need to know what our country is doing abroad in the name of national security. Each time a drone strike kills civilians and children, it guarantees that more terrorists are spawned. Our safety is diminished, not enhanced, as well as it being an unethical and immoral practice. This is the antithesis of what we should be doing to curb terrorism. 

These drone strikes are NOT the antiseptic, surgical strikes claimed by the administration. It is NOT only an unknown number of terrorists that are being killed, it is also ordinary people trying to live lives like you and me. What could possibly give the United States the right to send our deadly weapons into other countries and kill its citizens? Just imagine how the U.S. would react if another country were to send its drones here with the excuse it is killing people who may do harm to their country. How many of us would not want to turn our fury on the invading country?

Fifty countries now have drones. It is a booming business. And therein lies the bottom line. Companies like Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrup Grumman, among others, are making millions from selling drones. They contribute heartily to our politicians’ coffers and have a healthy lobbyist contingent in Congress. It is in their best interests to keep the insanity going. It’s another example of the 1% ruling the 98%.

The media has done a poor job of investigative reporting and has too readily gone along with the claims of the administration that only militants/combatants are being killed.

We the people are too willingly going along with the lies we are fed and too willing to be distracted by the balm of popular culture. We can and must do better. Please watch this film. It is currently available on line free: http://unmanned.warcosts.com/