Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. Oh, never mind, it's just another government drone.
With news lately that President Obama has targeted terrorists on foreign soil using unmanned drones, discussion has reached Congress about the federal government using drones to patrol U.S. skies, raising concerns over privacy.
We can hear it now, with a voice booming from above us:
In New York: "You sir, put down the Big Gulp and come out with your hands up."
In Minot: "Sir, please turn off your sprinkler. You are watering your lawn on an unapproved day of the week."
A bit paranoid? Think opponents have watched the Terminator movies and Skynet one too many times?
Perhaps, but there has been legislation introduced in both the House and the Senate to limit the use of drones to "gather evidence or other information pertaining to criminal conduct or conduct in violation of a regulation" without a warrant, and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell suggested that drones could be used by police domestically after their success on the battlefield. The concern is not entirely unfounded.
It may be a bit premature to worry about drones peering into our private lives through windows, or tracking our movements and shopping habits to be sold to an advertising agency, but we'll keep our eyes on our congressmen and the skies to make sure the use of drones domestically doesn't get out of hand.