Remote Control Killing: Drones and a "Safer Battlefield"

Unmanned aerial vehicles, referred to as drones, are remotely controlled planes used not only for surveillance but for bombing, most often in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States Air Force routinely flies drones in these countries. This "advance" has been applauded as a "cleaner" and "safer" way of conducting war. Drones do reduce the causalities among military personnel in the short run because they have no pilot, however, the tragedy comes from the increase in civilian deaths as a result of the use of drones. With each war in the last few decades children have outnumbered soldiers among its victims.

Military personnel can sit at consoles in their offices in Nevada and push a button and within two seconds a drone delivers its deadly cargo. Drones are very popular with politicians because they reduce the number of military casualties. As noted by the Nevada Desert Experience: "The illusion that war can be waged with no domestic cost dehumanizes both us and our enemies. It fosters a callous disregard for human life that can lead to ever more recklessness on the part of politicians." 

The media does not often focus on the loss of life of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan due to drones. There is no such thing as a "clean war." The "Reapers" and "Predators" carrying "Hellfire" come with a cost - the sacrifice of our values, our belief in the dignity and value of every human life. By killing civilians, U.S. drones do not prevent or eliminate terrorism, but instead bring about more violence and retaliation. 

Being "pro life" includes being anti drone. It is important to read or view the news from the lens of what this means for civilians.