The resolution, passed Monday, "calls on the United States Congress and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia to adopt legislation prohibiting information obtained from the domestic use of drones from being introduced into a Federal or State court," and "pledges to abstain from similar uses with city-owned, leased, or borrowed drones."
I think that you are conflating use by the private sector and abuse by the public (read govt) sector. I don't interpret that resolution as even suggesting that using a remotely piloted aerial vehicle to perform legitimate aerial photography for various commercial purposes that would currently be completely legal using a manned aerial vehicle should be outlawed. Their position is in relation to restraining governmental use of UAV to "spy" on the citizenry. I'm right with them on that point.
I agree that is the basis of the law. What's scary is how the law makers try slap an all inclusive ban on "drones" just so that they can keep growing marijuana in their back yards. Lol.
...people pushing these laws have seen some of the truly amazing and artistic work people are doing here. ...
So there is good news. This was a 'resolution', not a law. you can read the text at https://www.rutherford.org/files_im...rone_Exclusion_Resolution_Charlottesville.pdf. Rutherford Institute is the ones who drove this with the help of one of the council members according to news reports. Please note that they also passed a resolution the same day about getting out of foreign wars.
The City Council of Charlottesville, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and the University of Virginia, passed on Tuesday evening, January 17, 2012, a resolution believed to be a first in the country, opposing the launching of a war on Iran, as well as calling for an end to current ground and drone wars engaged in by the United States and urging Congress and the President of the United States to significantly reduce military spending.
More chilling is this excerpt from a position paper at Rutherford:
Protect People’s First Amendment Rights
o Drones will be outfitted with crowd control weapons. Vanguard Defense Industries has
confirmed that its Shadowhawk drone, which is already being sold to law enforcement
agencies throughout the country, will be outfitted with lethal weapons, including a
grenade launcher or a shotgun, and weapons of compliance, such as tear gas
and rubber buckshot.
Such aerial police weapons send a clear and chilling message to those
attempting to exercise their First Amendment rights by taking to the streets and protesting
government policies—the message: stay home.
Wow....
Al, that may be one of the best ideas yet. Let's all agree to promote this hobby as Aerial robots from here fourth when we encounter fresh minds. People are too easily coerced into the negative connotation of the word Drone. This is exactly what we need. If not "aerial robot" lets agree to change the nomenclature to something more interesting, less intimidating, something unknown and perhaps something positive.