[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4973]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          MATTEO ALOIA'S ESSAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 14, 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Matteo Aloia attends Dawson High School in Pearland, Texas. The essay 
topic is: in your opinion, what role should government play in our 
lives?

       UAV Drones can be defined as any unmanned aerial vehicle 
     controlled from the ground. While drones are often associated 
     with American military use, commercial drones have recently 
     become quite popular. As UAV drones have risen to the 
     forefront of the consumer market, they have began to pose 
     real threats to both security and privacy.
       The Washington Post claims that ``The Federal Aviation 
     Administration recently released a report detailing more than 
     190 safety incidents involving drones and commercial 
     aircraft.'' The Washington Post also claims that ``The U.S. 
     military is rightfully worried that drones will be weaponized 
     as killing machines and become autonomous flying IEDs 
     (improvised explosive devices)''. An example that could have 
     turned to tragedy when, last year, a UAV drone landed on the 
     White House Lawn, unbeknownst to the President's security 
     detail. There was no malicious intent from the drone or its 
     operator. However, if this drone had been intending to do 
     damage, it obviously had the means to do so.
       Many UAV drones are also equipped with audio and video 
     capabilities. This begs the question of privacy on American 
     soil. If anyone can fly a drone outside your house and see 
     what you're doing, how can anything be truly private? 
     According to Brookings, an online news source, ``unlike some 
     state houses, the U.S. Congress hasn't seriously considered 
     or passed a bill to set general privacy standards or to 
     regulate drones and privacy specifically''. While certain 
     state governments have ruled on the nature of privacy in 
     relation to drones, the federal government has yet to reach a 
     decision, and perhaps has not even seriously considered the 
     issue. This could pose a major risk to American's individual 
     freedoms through the invasion of privacy.
       In summary, UAV Drones pose several major risks to the 
     American lifestyle. The first risk is one of security, in 
     that drones are difficult to detect and can be easily 
     equipped with IEDs. The second risk is one of morality, in 
     that drones can be used to pry into the personal lives of 
     American citizens. Without action from the government, the 
     problem of drones will go unsolved.

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