Advancements in aerial remotely piloted vehicles and satellite communications technology has allowed the integration of U.S. intelligence and U.S. Air Force operations to target and eliminate enemies on the ground without risk to flight crews. Deadly lethal and operated by U.S. Air Force personnel in the United States, targeted killings by predator drone strikes have become the weapon of choice while the legality of targeted killings is subject to much debate. Like judicial precedence, it has become accepted practice and part of normal warfare because of its repeated and accepted occurrence. However, as of 2016, no law for the drone campaign had been enacted by Congress or published in the US Code. The U.S. President, with the advice of
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Dr. King, in his “Letter” defined two types of laws, just and unjust when he answered the question of when it is legal to obey some laws and break others by writing “The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” The U.S. targeted killing program’s primary justification is that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict and may use force against its enemies for self-defense. Drone precision guided missiles are more humane and more accurate than manned vehicles, they reduce the loss of …show more content…
Dr. King, in his “Letter” argued, that when made aware of the injustices in Birmingham Alabama, he was compelled to go there because he could not “sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.” Today, the question becomes how do we, as U.S. citizens sit comfortably in the comfort of our homes throughout America when targeted killings occur in Asia, Africa and the Middle East? Have we become that disengaged as individuals within our society? Or do we just prefer to believe that targeted killings are legal even though not moral. The dilemma being that, targeted killing is not sanctioned by U.S. law, International Law or the Law of Armed Conflict. These bodies of law predate today’s campaigns against multifaceted ideology driven terrorist organizations with weapons and a willingness to commit suicide for their
Dr. King, in his “Letter” defined two types of laws, just and unjust when he answered the question of when it is legal to obey some laws and break others by writing “The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” The U.S. targeted killing program’s primary justification is that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict and may use force against its enemies for self-defense. Drone precision guided missiles are more humane and more accurate than manned vehicles, they reduce the loss of …show more content…
Dr. King, in his “Letter” argued, that when made aware of the injustices in Birmingham Alabama, he was compelled to go there because he could not “sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.” Today, the question becomes how do we, as U.S. citizens sit comfortably in the comfort of our homes throughout America when targeted killings occur in Asia, Africa and the Middle East? Have we become that disengaged as individuals within our society? Or do we just prefer to believe that targeted killings are legal even though not moral. The dilemma being that, targeted killing is not sanctioned by U.S. law, International Law or the Law of Armed Conflict. These bodies of law predate today’s campaigns against multifaceted ideology driven terrorist organizations with weapons and a willingness to commit suicide for their