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My birthday present from CODEPINK arrived in time to wear at the podium.
Get your DRONE FREE ZONE t-shirt here. |
Sixteen year old Malala Yousefzai took a meeting with President Obama last
week. Malala is famous as a champion of education for girls in
Pakistan, and was attacked by Taliban extremists for her work –
which only made her more famous.
In
her meeting with the man who keeps a “kill list” that he goes
over every Tuesday with his advisors, Malala said:
“Drone
strikes are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these
acts.”
Shortly
after their meeting, President Obama delivered a big win for war
profiteers by rolling back restrictions on weapons exports. He made
it easier for the corporations that fund his campaigns to sell their
deadly merchandise, including parts for drones, to trouble spots all
over the globe.
The
proliferation of machines of death in the hands of men whose souls
have gone to sleep is the signature of the U.S. in the 21st
century. Our entire economy is built upon this, and about 2/3 of our
federal taxes are spent on this, driving us toward more austerity for
the people and threatening us with moral and fiscal bankruptcy.
President
Obama has promised 30,000 drones will soon fill the skies over North
America.
Maine
legislators still listen to their constituents. In the session just
concluded, the Maine legislature passed a bill regulating the use of
drones by law enforcement officials. Both houses agreed that warrants
should be obtained before surveilling with drones. The bill contained
an unfortunate exemption for the testing of militarized drones.
Attorney General Janet Mills lobbied for the exception, calling
drones an “economic driver” for Maine. This compromise to get the
bill passed turned out to be unnecessary – Governor LePage vetoed
the bill, and there were not enough votes to override his veto.
Vacationland
is where I was born, and where I make my home. Famous as a tourist
destination spot, Maine has spectacular coastal islands and harbors,
acres of forests, and the most beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains
imaginable. It has a burgeoning local food movement and a long
tradition as a haven for artists and authors. Drones overhead will
destroy Vacationland as we know it. Their noisy, hovering threat to
privacy and safety will profit a few already wealthy arms merchants,
and the rest of us will lose something of immense value: true
security.
The
role of NSA surveillance in targeted drone bombings was revealed by
Edward Snowden; the two functions of drones go hand in hand –
spying and killing by robots that cost the millions of dollars that
have gone missing from our budgets for public education and public
transportation represent a failure of our culture, our intelligence,
and a failure to have true government of, by and for the people.
Activists
in Maine will again work to find sponsors for a bill regulating
drones and banning militarized drones in Maine airspace. We will not
give up. Our future, and the future of our children and
grandchildren, depends upon it.
Thank
you to the Maine Drone Peace Walkers for helping to bring so much
attention to this pressing problem.
The
walk ends today, but the work continues.
CODEPINK has collaborated to organize a No Drone Summit in Washington DC for November 16-17.
Experts from around the globe and plenty of concerned citizens will
share what they know and on Monday, November 18 some will engage in civil
disobedience to resist the proliferation of drones. See me for
details if you to know know more about these events.
Thank
you for coming together today. I am honored to be among you.
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