Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

October 31, 2011

Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Officer in Texas describes himself as ?tickled to death? over his department?s acquisition of a ShadowHawk unmanned aerial vehicle. The remote-piloted drone was purchased through a $300,000 grant from the federal department of homeland security.

According to Deputy McDaniel, "It's so simple in its design and the objectives, you just wonder why anyone would choose not to have it.? Since the Feds are literally giving them away, why would any "local" police department turn one down? According to Michael Buscher, chief executive officer of ShadowHawk?s manufacturer, Vanguard Defense Industries, the MCSO is the first local law enforcement agency to buy one. It won?t be the last.  The drone can be used for surveillance, and can be upgraded to a fully functional weapons platform, using beanbag rounds, tasers, conventional ammunition, or even missiles.

Insists Sheriff Tommy Gage: "No matter what we do in law enforcement, somebody's going to question it, but we're going to do the right thing, and I can assure you of that." Similar assurances, we should recall, were offered when tasers became part of the standard police arsenal. On previous performance it?s likely we will soon be barraged with YouTube clips of drone-facilitated police abuse.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.