Peace activists bring drone model to Philadelphia for July 4th

Peace activists are worried about how reliant the U.S. military has become on drone airplanes. They’re hitting Philadelphia streets to try to organize opposition to the pilot-less airplanes.

Robert Smith of the Brandywine Peace Community says drone aircraft have turned war into a video game and that means soldiers don’t have to see the people they kill.

“Those who are trained, the pilots, the armchair pilots, the seated pilots behind a computer screen only see blips and those blips are those who have been killed,” said Smith.

The group is displaying a mock drone that is touring the country. They’re also worried about how drones are used for surveillance.

“Drones are becoming a whole new area of not only warfare but of technology that is invading so much of our lives,” added Smith.

The Pentagon maintains drone aircraft are vital for going after al-Qaeda and other militants in remote parts of Pakistan.

Drones are the topic Thursday at 10 a.m. on WHYY’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane.