A drone is an unmanned, usually armed, aircraft used mostly for military purposes such as surveillance and air strikes, but they are also used sparsely for domestic purposes. On rare occasions someone may see a drone flying around outside.  Drones have many domestic and military capabilities that before they were invented were unheard of. They can be used to do simple things such as flying around a golf course to give televisions watchers a better view, but they can also be very deadly. Drones have the capability perform death orders on anyone targeted and sometimes there can be accidental civilian casualties. Drones have many advantages and disadvantages that come with using these high-tech machines.

Drones are mostly used for military purposes in areas of the Middle East such as Yemen and Afghanistan.  They have been the most effective source of warfare so that American troops aren’t put on the ground. Drones have eliminated many terrorists from these areas, but according to Bonnie Kristian in her article, “7 Reasons Why Drones Are Scary And Awful”,   the civilian to terrorist death rate for drones may be as high as 50:1. That is an astounding number of innocent people to be killed and many people protest the use of our drones in these Middle East countries. Drones have been the most affective military weapon in these countries by far. Clint Watts, a senior at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said during a national security podcast called “War on the Rocks,”  “There are going to be civilians that get killed. Civilians get killed in all options.”

Drones aren’t just military weapons anymore; when the ball dropped to signal the start of 2015, the age of drones in America also began. President Obama passed an act that allows drones to fly in American airspace starting on that day. Only 21% of Americans favor the use of commercial drones in our own country, but many people argue that drones are the future of America and the world.  “[They’re] more effective, more efficient and life-saving,” said Michael Toscano, president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. “People will realize this is a better way of doing what they’ve done before.” Five of the positive uses of drones listed by Matt McFarland are broadcasting sports, monitoring coral reefs, aerial surveying, inspecting oil fields, and mapping crime scenes. They can do these things with the ease of a simple human command. Some experts predict that there will be 30,000 drones in American airspace by the year 2020.

Having drones in America doesn’t contain only postive outcomes. Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel talk about the bad things that drones can do in their article, “Domestic use of drones? Bad idea.” Thomas and Beckel agree that drones should be addressed by the Federal Aviation Administration over the possibility of drones intruding on privacy. Drones can also add substantially to air traffic. Commercial airline pilots are concerned over the hazards of unmanned drones flying in the same air. With the limitless capabilities of drones, Thomas says, “Drones are just the latest example of the industry’s intrusions into our liberties.”

Drones have both many benefits and many hindrances. They may be a cheaper and better offer for commercial use, but is a cheaper price worth more than your personal life and security? This is but one question in the ongoing debate over the use of drones in America and abroad.