Warfare isn't pretty, but it must be done.

“Drones are becoming the preferred instruments of vengeance, and their core purpose is analogous to the changing relationship between civil society and warfare, in which the latter is conducted remotely and at a safe distance so that implementing death and murder becomes increasingly palatable”. James Jeffrey says this in his article Drone Warfare’s Deadly Civilian Toll: A Very Personal View. I disagree with what he says here. This quote makes the United States seem like the ‘bad guy.’ Yes, drones are becoming much more popular, however, it is because they are effective and keep pilots out of the combat zone. Implementing death and murder? America is at war with an enemy who could care less about killing our military personnel and our noncombatant civilians. Yet, we debate about whether or not the terrorists that are trying to kill us are being targeted fairly. It leaves such a bad taste in my mouth knowing that people defend the rights of terrorists. Maybe i'm just heartless, but I don't care how the enemy is targeted, as long as the job gets done safely.

            Jeffrey also talks about how it is easy to kill if you do not view the target as a person. I hear this a lot, “They’re people too.” Yes, the enemy are people too, however, most of the people arguing this have never been in contact with the enemy, and do not know what they are like. They are savages; women use their own children as human shields and suicide bombers, they put IEDs under dead dogs or weapon magazines. A soldier is going to listen to the order to kill the enemy whether they are referred to as a person or a target, the job will be done regardless.

            A senior administration official said, “We can’t possibly kill everyone who wants to harm us,” which is true. However, I do believe that everyone who has directly contributed in the harming or killing of American lives does deserve to die. Maybe that is why more names are being added to kill lists. The U.S. is gathering more intelligence on terrorists that have participated in the killing of Americans. Do High Value Targets (HVTs), like Osama Bin Laden, deserve to live just because the war is slowing down? I think not.