We are doomed!
Posted on 11/12/2007 3:53:44 PM PST by mdittmar
UFOs may be fodder for comedians and science fiction but there was no joking Monday when a group of pilots and officials demanded the US government reopen an investigation into unidentified flying objects.
The 19 former pilots and government officials, who say they have seen UFOs themselves or been involved in probes of strange flying objects, told reporters their questions can no longer be dismissed more than 30 years after the US case was closed.
"We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms," said Fife Symington, former governor of Arizona and air force pilot who says he saw a UFO himself in 1997.
"Instead our country needs to reopen its official investigation that it shut down in 1969," Symington told a news conference.
Symington read an appeal on behalf of the group of who came to Washington to recount their sightings of UFOs.
"We believe that for reasons of both national security and flight safety, every country should make an effort to identify any object in its airspace," the statement said.
The group included a retired pilot from Air France who said he saw an enormous flying disc during a flight from Nice to London in 1994, an Iranian pilot who tried in vain to fire on a UFO in 1976 and a former US official from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who claims a probe into a UFO seen over Alaska in 1987 was squelched.
"'Who believes in UFOs?' is the kind of attitude of the FAA all the time," Symington said.
"However, when I asked the CIA person: 'What do you think it was,' he responded 'a UFO.'"
When Symington suggested the government tell Americans about a UFO, the CIA official allegedly told him: "'No way, if we were to tell the American public there are UFOs they would panic.'"
The subject of UFOs came up in a recent debate among presidential candidates, with Democrat Dennis Kucinich saying he saw a UFO.
Skeptics say UFO sightings are merely aircraft or meteors re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
You seem to be suggesting that witnesses, such as professional pilots, design engineers, cops, and military personnel are not capable of distinguishing between a modern, man made aircraft, and an unidentified object...
***There is precedence for this. The same level of witnesses started reporting propellerless aircraft coming out of Germany at the end of WWII, and some that even seemed to be rocket powered. When we look at what the actual devices were and compare them to the eyewitness descriptions, the variance is astonishing. That needs to be taken into account when you study this phenomena.
Another thing that needs to be taken into account is how the authorities reacted. When bomber pilots reported seeing fast propellerless aircraft shooting down their buddies, they were told that they didn’t see that, and that if they talked about it they would get in trouble. Similar things happened to people who reported UFO sightings. Also, when a flying saucer lands, the typical engagement goes something like this: Saucer Occupant: “Get the *&*%@& out of here, this is none of your business.” Does that sound like an extraterrestrial encounter to you? How do they get such perfect profanity but don’t know how to say, “Take us to your leader”?
OK.
When I say, “There is precedence for this”, that’s what I believe, not necessarily what you say I believe. Pigeonholing is the sign of a lazy mind.
So you don't agree with the above?
You’ll never guess who my mom named me after.
Yes, it is; I haven't tried to hide it.
Why don't you quit beating around the bush and tell me where my assessment is wrong? We've got optical illusions, natural phenomena, misidentified landmarks and aircraft, and top secret military and experimental projects; what other possible explanation did I miss?
Are you in the category of those who admit to beating their wives or those who do not?
Great response Kev!
Is this what you're suggesting?
I am suggesting that they misinterpreted what they saw or were witnessing things that were optical illusions, natural phenomena, misidentified landmarks, and black projects whose capabilities are not public knowledge.
Why don't you quit beating around the bush and tell me where my assessment is wrong?
OK, just to be clear, are you stating that *all* of these incidents are *all* just witness misinterpretations, optical illusions and secret military craft?
Is this what you're saying?
Is this what you're saying?
YES! Oh my God YES for the 10th time!! That is what I'm saying!
If you think I'm wrong, then provide another possible explanation. Otherwise quit asking, "Is this what you're saying?"
I just wanted to make sure you were referring to *all* or every single incident. No need to blow a gasket. lol.
So once again, you're saying credible professionals in the aviation business, pilots, military personnel and many others are just not capable of providing accurate observations, and they all have just simply misinterpreted what they've witnessed.
OK. lol...
I just don't buy into what you believe in regards to the above. It sounds like a government provided explanation. No offense.
That being said, sure many of these incidents are what you described, however, there have been many others, involving rather high end, top shelf, credible professionals, with detailed, closeup observations on objects that cannot be just explained away, supported by radar tracks, pilots, etc.
Metatron?
OK, but I'm a little unclear here. You are not satisfied with the list of explanations that I provided, yet in post #144, you said that you were not insinuated that extraterrestrials are involved.
Since I believe that I covered every earthly and terrestrial explanation, I would honestly like to know, what do you think they are?
UFO’s might be time machines from our own future.
I understand your SOP.
What I was hoping for was an answer that made more sense.
Though, I confess, I was skeptical I’d get one.
Great points.
Do you have *evidence* that they were seeing alien crafts?
And I said no, I don't. And I never claimed they were.
Nor do you have evidence supporting what you stated that every single incident or observation made by credible individuals was/is swamp gas, optical illusions, secret military aircraft, misinterpretations, etc.
I would honestly like to know, what do you think they are?
I have no idea, as I stated previously. I will say I too have seen objects that I cannot identify. Not suggesting they were aliens, or alien craft, but it could have been.
I tend to look beyond this planet. I've been imaging planetary and deep space objects for some years, using the latest computer controlled optical telescopes and rather high end, extreme light sensitive digital cameras. Yes, I consider myself an experienced, trained observer.
Example...Two weeks ago I imaged M-15 globular star cluster, below. It's about 34,000 light years distance. Not too far astronomically speaking. It contains pulsars, and neutron stars. Very neat stuff.
You can believe me or not, but I've seen objects, outside and close to our moon orbit, that I cannot explain. Could they have been craft not produced or developed here on earth? I don't know. What I do know is that we have very few spacecraft outside our moon orbit, and those would not be visible anyway...Not with my equipment anyway. lol
You have your beliefs, as I have mine.
I do not believe in anything for which there is no evidence. While there is evidence that many UFO sightings are the result of misinterpretations of earthly phenomena, there is no evidence of alien spacecraft. Therefore, I go with the more likely explanation.
Do you believe the Drake equation holds scientific value?
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