Every once in a while you get a chance to meet someone who is really making a difference in the world. It doesn't happen very often, but tonight at MCC was one of those times.
Kathy Kelly, 57, co-founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, addressed about 65 people in the MCC Conference Center on the topic of drones in warfare, those unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of surveillance and missile and bomb delivery in precision strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kathy explained the growth of the U.S. drone program over the past nine years. In 2001, when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, the military had about 100 drones. By January 2009, when President Obama took office, there were about 7,000. Today there are 12,000.
How are drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan controlled? By military personnel in Nevada and New York, thousands of miles away. One operator watches the view from the drone's camera on his monitor, while another operator controls the flight with a joystick. The chain-of-command is involved in decisions to launch weapons.
According to the brochure for tonight's program, "The military itself acknowledges that for every one "bad guy" the DRONES assassinate, FIFTY civilians are murdered." See http://nodrones.com/factsheet.htm
Look at it this way: let's say a drone was circling over Woodstock, trying to spot a member of Al Qaeda. The spotter thinks he has got him; the controller causes the drone to circle while permission is sought to fire. Missile firing is authorized, and the command to fire is given. The missile may or may not get the target, and 50 people die. You lose family members, other relatives, neighbors and friends. Many children die.
How long would it take you to join the resistance?
What Kathy found on her visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan is that the people of the country do not want the U.S. there. Kathy puts herself on the line, with her voice, with her body and with her life. She spoke with passion tonight.
It's too bad there were only 65 people in the auditorium that would hold 300-400. Mostly adults, some students. Where was the effective promotion of her presentation?
For more information about Voices for Creative Nonviolence, visit www.vcnv.org
