Posted on 11/12/2007 1:22:30 PM PST by BenLurkin
Former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington joined other top officials in Washington, D.C., today to speak out about unidentified flying objects.
After sighting what he called a UFO in 1997, Symington held a news conference where his chief-of-staff was dressed as an alien. But, Symington will be all business today as he moderates a discussion at the National Press Club of UFO sightings.
Symington, himself, feels strongly that we may not be alone in the universe.
``The university is such a big place, I just think that you have to be open to that possibility," he said.
It was during his second term as governor that Symington saw a delta-shaped object split the sky over Squaw Peak.
The Phoenix Lights, sometimes referred to as ``the Lights over Phoenix," were seen March 13, 1997, when thousands of people reported seeing the phenomena. There were two distinct events -- a traingular formation of lights seen to pass over Arizona and a series of stationary lights seen in the Phoenix area.
The U.S. Air force said the lights were caused by flares dropped by a-10 Warthog aircraft in training exercises over the Barry Goldwater Air force Range.
Symington, many high-ranking military, aviation and government officials never bought in to that explanation.
Symington said he saw a large triangular ``craft of unknown origin" with lights. He said it could not have been flares because it was too symmetrical.
In an interview last March with The Daily Courier in Prescott, Symington responded to the military claims that the lights were caused by flares. ``I'm a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies. It was bigger than anything that I've ever seen. It remains a great mystery. Other people saw it, responsible people. I don't know why people would ridicule it."
Frances Barwood, a Phoenix city councilwoman, launched an investigation into the event and interviewed more than 700 witnesses. She said, ``The government never interviewed even one."
While Symington spoofed the incident at the 1997 news conference, he now wants to set the record straight.
He says Arizona was ``on the brink of hysteria" about the UFO sighting at the time and the frenzy was building.
``I wanted people to lighten up and calm down, so I introduced a little levity. But I never felt that the ovrall situation was a matter of ridicule," he said, adding that the incident remains unsolved and deserves an official investigation.
Among those joining Symington in today's panel discussion were several pilots, former Belgian Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Wilfried De Brouwer, retired Air France Capt. Jean-Claude Duboc and former United Kingdom Defense Minister Nick Pope.
The universe is even bigger.
FYI
Did Shirley McLaine and Dennis Kucinich attend?
Pinging the list...
Thank you for the ping.
I must say, Symington certainly didn’t help anything with his “spoof.” Why would you ridicule something you believe has a possibility of being real?
I think it's good that members of both major parties are interested in exploring the issue of extraterrestrial intelligence.
The topic is and should be a bi-partisan issue.
Thanks.
Is that a self-portrait?
Is it the tinfoil hat that’s a bit tight
or
is it the tinfoil undies that are in a wad?
UFO sightings are no laughing matter, group says
afp | 11/12/07 | afp
Posted on 11/12/2007 6:53:44 PM EST by mdittmar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1924782/posts
We know a couple who saw the Pnoenix lights. It scared the crap out of them.
That being said, who knows what they really were?
You are right. In AZ, it is no laughing matter. YouTube has some very good clips of the Phoenix lights. Scary stuff.
I was on vacation in Cape Cod a few years ago and one night I hung 3 lightsticks on the bottom of a kite and flew it on the dark beach. It looked real cool, Like a green glowing orb up in the hazy nite sky.
The next day at breakfast everybody was talking about the UFO they saw the night before.
It was the funniest thing ever!!
(snicker)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.