Human Lives Matter

I think everyone is saddened by the tragedy in Dallas.  It's a horrible taking of lives.  And one unfortunate thing about the situation is that it may take focus away from the epidemic of killings, abuse and over-militarization by police.

Speaking of over-militaristic policing, it has come out that a "killer robot" was used to kill the suspected shooter. I hope that others find this VERY alarming.  In the article, several experts raise various concerns.  To me, this thought from Marjorie Cohn,  Professor Emerita, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, sums things up nicely :

"Police cannot use deadly force unless there's an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to them or other people. If the suspect was holed up in a parking garage and there was nobody in immediate danger from him, the police could have waited him out. They should have arrested him and brought him to trial," Cohn said. "Due process is not just enshrined in our constitution, it's also enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the U.S. has ratified, making it part of U.S. law."

We had better start being pro-active.  We have drones - so far only striking overseas but could it happen here?  We have robots which can activate water canons --- and for the first time it seems in the U. S., apply deadly force.  That better concern us and we had better stop being in denial.  This trend of LE being judge, jury AND exctutioner runs counter to what we say the U.S. should be about. We had better start demanding that HUMAN LIVES MATTER, and that technology be used to serve us, be accountable to THE PEOPLE, and used in accourdance with our civil and human rights and the rule of law.