Hatters Be Hattin'

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With the release of the Congressional UFO Report in June of 2021 the UFO Community has seen a flurry of sloppy news articles on the topic.  Some media, like the New York Times, treat the subject of visits by other intelligent beings with the dignity it deserves, while rags like the Los Angeles Times continue to poke fun at the subject and its adherents.  They liken all members of the UFO Community to Tinfoil Hat People, and conspiracy followers.

The NY Times, noted for "All the News That's Fit to Print" will cite scientists and government officials, pointing towards evidence of UFOs and eye-witness accounts of UFOs while the LA Times apparently likens the belief in UFOs to belief in ghosts and Bigfoots.  A superficial LA Times article from June 2, 2021 states, "As with many conspiracy theories, UFO devotees have claimed for decades that government disclosure is imminent."  There is so much to unpack in that one sentence.

I can picture the topic assignment meeting with the editor and all the writers.  It probably went something like, "OK, next up [feigned suppression of laughter] we've got this, heh heh, UFO piece?  Um... [whispers to a senior writer] What's the new kid's name?  Blakesly?  Blasely?  Ya, Blasey!  You, Blasey!  You get to do the UFO piece. [more lightly suppressed laughter]"

Staff writer Laura Blasey whose previous accolades include producing audio for smart home devices and whose Twitter tagline begins with, "*eye roll* [typing sounds]" looks up from her phone for the first time, visibly startled, and sheepishly replies, "But... like?  I don't knowww??? Anything?  About UFOhhhs???"

The editor snaps back, "Just write about conspiracy nuts, kid!  Tin Foil Hat people!  This will all blow over in a few weeks anyway and you can go back to writing about COVID vaccines, while we can still milk that."

And onward we digress.

UFO Devotees are not Tinfoil Hat People

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Tabloids like the Los Angeles Times tend to recklessly categorize the subject of UFOs alongside the supernatural.  They will liken the subject's followers to crazy people who believe in conspiracy theories and mythology.  They pen lines like, "As with many conspiracy theories," without investigating eye-witness accounts, ignoring photographic and video evidence.  Why would they do this?

The answer is because one, it is easier to hate on people than to practice journalistic integrity, and two, because the paper's writers and editors lack the courage displayed by more reputable papers like the New York Times.  Calling UFO visits a "conspiracy theory" enables the LA Times staff to distance themselves from the folks they perceive to be wackos.  It is like saying, "Hey, I don't believe in this stuff, I'm not one of those Tinfoil Hat nuts, but here's what everyone else has been talking about recently, about what's happening in Washington."  The LA Times was behind the curve in reporting on all this so they seem to feel the need to differentiate themselves from the news leaders by sensationalizing the subject.

Yes, Ms. Blasey, conspiracy theorists do indeed believe in UFOs and in government cover-ups.  But so do many scientists and scientific minded people, investigative journalists (those who spend more than a few hours writing each article, who do research by means other than Googling), and government officials, both elected and appointed.  You can joke all you want about, "The Truth is Out There," but the joke is on you.  The truth is indeed out there, you just cannot be bothered to take the time to find it.

But enough about hack writers.  What happens next?  Most leading figures in the UFO Community have taken a restrained approach to the content of the Congressional Report.  It is assumed the report will not contain any smoking guns nor an official acknowledgement that Earth is being visited by aliens.  It will contain an admission that the government does not know who built aircraft like the "Tic Tacs" nor how those aircraft are able to seemingly defy the known laws of physics.  In other words, "I'm not saying it's aliens, but..."

UFO Devotees are not Tinfoil Hat People

Will the LA Times later print a correction, saying they were wrong to belittle the greatest story of our collective lifetimes?  I am not holding my breath.  The best they will do is some type of tacit acknowledgment that there is something to the "UFO Conspiracy Theory" while continuing to shamelessly distance themselves from the topic and its proponents.

The weakest links in media will print sensationalistic dribble like, the tinfoil hat people may have been right all along.  No, tinfoil hat people are still tinfoil hat people.  I am not making a judgement about the veracity of people who cover their heads in aluminum foil to prevent aliens from manipulating their minds.  I am saying, they are a different group of people, as are people who believe in ghosts, Bigfoots, ESP, and mental telepathy.  

Just as politics makes strange bedfellows, so too does the UFO topic.  Many people who believe in the above subjects also believe in life on other planets.  But there are a number of us who advocate to normalize the discussion of UFOs who are highly rational and not prone to conspiracy theories of any type.  We take it from a scientific perspective.  Statistically it is nearly impossible for humans to be the most intelligent life in the Universe.  More likely, there are people on other planets who are millions of years ahead of us and they figured out long ago how to get from there to here (wherever there is).  

Then, there are those of us who have actually had close encounters with aircraft that could not possibly have been created by people on Earth.  For us, it is no more of a belief than it would be to believe I had coffee this morning.  I know what I poured in my coffee cup and I know what I saw in Gagetown in 1992.   And yes, LA Times, WE were right all along.  

When lazy or cowardly "journalists" lump the scientific-minded people in with what they perceive to be the crazy people, they may think they are tipping their hats in acknowledgement of a truth.  In reality, this will still be an attempt to avoid the appearance of "belief" in aliens at the expense of making the rest of us all look crazy.  There needs to be some delineation between the groups.

The Tinfoil Hat people are who they are.  The conspiracy people are who they are.  The supernatural believers are who they are.  None of them should be included in the current UFO discussion.  There are plenty of scientists, government officials, and eye-witnesses to include in legit news articles.

It is time for the folks at the LA Times and other would-be journalists to grow up and find the courage to take this topic seriously.  Or, they keep hating on a subject that will only expand from here out.  The truth is not out there, it is right in front of you.

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If you have seen an alien spaceship or any type of unidentified flying object (UFO) contact me using the Contact form at the bottom of this page.  You may remain anonymous if you want.  I will not ridicule you or try to tell you why you are wrong.  I get it, I saw one too.

Thank you for reading and keep an eye on the sky.