Inevitable Alternatives And Key Individuals

Inevitable Alternatives And Key Individuals

by Alfred Lehmberg 

Many of us in a ufological C-list rank and file are dismissively chided by the experienced, recognized, and "legitimate" researchers in our community as "armchair Ufologists": persons apart from being taken seriously because we have not done any credible field research. 

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Klasskurtxians or Pelicanists, on the other hand, plus other skeptibunky ax-grinders (knee-jerk debunkers by any name or stripe refusing to responsibly investigate what they initially dismiss) accuse our alleged (if mythical) "woo-woo credulity" and too eagerly impugned intellectual openness for our incompetence. That openness alluded to was a result, ironically, of doing that same (and responsible) field research—a research which is reflexively, and by definition (according to these hubristic scolds), dismissible! Our "unbiased," "fetterless," and wholly "skeptical" investigation, these sneer, would then ultimately indicate to us that UFOs were so much bunk, as this lot has decided at the start. 

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Heavy sigh.  Damned if don't or do, eh?

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Upon conducting a "small research" of my own, I discover, rather predictably, the inevitable alternative!  Such was so "on my watch and warrant."
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Verily, my personal experience reveals a path untold by the preceding factions, whatever the provenance of their "aisle side." I found something altogether different. 
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The aforementioned aisle separating the former from the latter  is the farthest this discussion will go in the latter's revolted consideration. We individuals—the sincerely curious and genuinely truth-seeking—coupled with those aspiringly efficacious persons the lay, but intellectually honest "rank and file" should read and watch respectfully... is the whole of our consideration! 

This discussion excludes the latter and is appalled by their hubristic and stubbornly maintained polar antithesis to sense and sensibility... those reflex skeptics: those who should be reviled, despised, and wholly loathed for the intellectual cowards that they are, out of hand!  The latter—refusing to responsibly first investigate that which they propose to condemn—recuse themselves for a consideration of any stripe.
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I'll leave it to the reader who's who.

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This writer observes that the former could be more encouraging to the interested rank and file and that the latter are just unbravely and self-servingly wrong, in heart and mind...  See? Your individual "investigation," reader, can be positively taken and to a degree the reader can determine for themselves.  Remember that the only ones who really need to be dissuaded or convinced as regards the ufological "such and so" are the individual readers... themselves.  

The individual, one discovers, is key!  The "idea" is the thing provided by the single individual.  Creation is not a committee action; this does not require citation.  It's but one, remember, who can keep a thousand employed, for good or ill.  There's a partnership there, or should be.

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Back on track, an investigation is not as unusual or as difficult as one might believe.  Moreover, the results of one's personal analysis may not prove to debunk UFOs, and more importantly, the occupants of same... without regard to how this *other* is manifested in a conjectured "real" or existential world.  Flying saucers remain real, eh?  Drake shows they are.  Fermi says they will. Seven imposing evidentiary categories say they have.

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Provenance is not the issue and may be misled conjecture anyway.  "Actuality" of the body's felt presence of the moment is the issue. Felt presence of the moment is witness to provenance or there would be no felt presence.  Reach always exceeds grasp.

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That said, the lauded former might provide a short if comprehensive syllabus outlining a process whereby interested persons might more successfully perform their small research. Presently it's all about making a useful report to a principal, that person not the individual with a few moments felt presence or direct experience alluded to above.  Top down, then and usually corrupted, never bottom up which, presuming deliberate malfeasance is not in the equation, tends to the incorruptible.

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This is forgetting that the aforementioned can be accomplished merely answering the questions who, what, where, how, when, and for the angle "why," when possible, to the best of one's ability. This has been done to a degree, true, but suspect mainstream opposition is an implacable foe, and those initiatives are frozen and scattered in that opposition's wind.

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The latter? These can just settle in with a nice steaming cup 'o "shut the f__k up."  Where truth is told in a manner to be understood?  It will be believed.  That's on good authority, I cry your pardon.

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As I said... I've performed such an individual "research."  Oh, it's a grain of sand compared to Frank Feschino's 20 plus year old, very assiduously documented and cited... then illustrated research regarding the 1950s military vs. UFO "Flap," to be sure, but it was a research, nonetheless.  It provided convincing personal answers to... Who.  What.  When.  Where.  How.  And lastly, that angle with regard to a "Why," even outside the parameters of diverse real persons observing a bona fide UFO and then having the supply of sacked stone to report it.   

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Here's what happened to me.

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I was looking around in some old "UFO Report" text files late last century that I'd downloaded from a BBS.  I'd come across an episode highlighting the name of a small town within proverbial spittin' distance from where I resided, once upon a time in southeast Alabama.  I have promised the key person involved that they would not be implicated, so I will not directly ID the town, just give you salient details of it.

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Several people in this small Alabama town observed a UFO.  I have the text of the article concerning the whole incident plus other documentation, but there is no requirement to believe this ol' ex-soldier, I'm doing this for me, remember.  You're just welcome on the ride, is all.  Buckle up and extinguish all smoking materials.

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Anyway, intrigued by the proximity of this event, I called the local town's newspaper to see if there was anything to the news article I'd found in those text files—and wouldn't  you just know it?  There was!

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In fact, it was quite a little tempest in a teapot, for all that, and I do not mean to diminish it. Not at  all, for what it really was, reader, was a story about courage, integrity, and standing up in the face of authority when it belittles you... or, suggests that you are misrepresenting, mistaken, or mentally ill... when it's you compelled to make a report to lawful authority after observing the highly strange!    

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The original story was, of course, doomed to go nowhere.  

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I digress to say that I suspect that there are stories like this happening all over the United States, every day.  These are stories dying as a result of being too close to the "informational bone" and challenging of our "slack cultural relevancy."  Moreover, these stories cannot easily be confirmed by the reader and are more easily filed away under amusing occurrences, belittling their importance... for unjust cause!  Still, this was a bona fide ufological tempest, close by, even if it was in a teapot...

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...Besides, at that time, I was between quarters of college.  I had time, motive, and opportunity to play investigator (folks, I'm no Hercule Perot); as I said, I called the editor at the local paper. 

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It turned out the fellow I reached was a talkative sort. Too, imagine any chief of a small town American rag; a hamster couldn't pass gas in his town without him knowing about it!  

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He talked about the  witness, at last, and I am actually a little chagrined to report... that "X" (the person of provenance in the affair) was a long-standing and respected-pillar-of-the-community type further showing historical stability with a responsible hi-level job in State government! 

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The Editor went on: apparently "X" was driving with a friend at night and had seen a UFO in the sky, a banana-shaped object spinning like a crazed boomerang or dervish!  The object (...not a bird, bolide, booster, or balloon...) had swooped back and forth in front of their moving car while utilizing unfeasible speeds and impossible direction  changes... and then it just disappeared! 

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The editor added, further, that there were other reports that night from other credible witnesses at similar times.  Multiple sightings of the UFO would be reported along a path which could be traced on a map! 

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Then the editor talked a short time about the rest of the story... regarding an amusingly satisfying related  situation precipitating some police embarrassment over their not taking  "X"'s  UFO report seriously enough when "X" made it!  A-ha!

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Apparently,  the police had mildly ridiculed "X" about the incident, and "X" went through the small-town roof as a result.  The tempest escalated to a reported verbal melee at the county police level, but with the mayor of the affected town brought into tow, "X" secured a complete retraction of the ridicule and a public apology from the police officers involved. This elicited more newspaper coverage, in turn, and a cartoon was produced illustrating the chagrined police chief being dragged down the street by a UFO, saying into a cell phone words to the effect that he had every future intention of taking UFO reports seriously!

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See, reader?  You don't have to stand pat for a load of crap from a smirking authority!  

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Well, "Great Story," and I thought that was the end of it, but then the editor abruptly added that if I "wanted" (!!!) I could talk to "X" myself, and here is "X" 's  home phone number!  I asked him—after I got the number—how he could do that, and he said that "X" did not say not to. Ok!  Works for me!

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Well, I called "X", got a machine—left my tale of explanation, credentials, number, and sincerity ... I even said "don't feel bad" if you don't return the call. 

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I got no return call; embarrassed, I have to report I hoped "X" felt bad... 

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I waited a couple of weeks; I didn't want to be the *obnoxious* media—if I wasn't getting paid for it!—and I was just getting ripe to phone back and see if the message was even received... when "X" finally returned my call! 

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"X" wanted to know "how in hell" I got the number!  I ratted the editor out (he didn't say not to), then countered with a barrage of apology, quick assurances of sincerity, and that I would make no trouble.  "X" cooled out. 

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After making me promise that I would not identify "X,"  "X" confirmed a large, crazily wheeling boomerang shape that zipped hither and yon in front of them like something "X" had never before seen! "X" said it was a CRAFT!

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Additionally, there is something that you have to  understand about "X,"   "X" lives right in the middle of some of the most intensively flown uncontrolled airspace in the known universe, and has lived there the whole of a respected life. 

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Anyone who has heard of Fort Rucker, home of Army Aviation, knows that the World comes to Fort Rucker to fly helicopters, day, night and all-weather.  "X" had cut generational teeth on aircraft of all types and knew the difference 'twixt something identified and something "NOT" in her familiar Alabama skies.

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"X" went on to say that the police apology story was overblown; it didn't happen as stridently as the editor had said, but that it was irritating not to be taken  seriously by someone who's salary "X" helped to pay.

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God bless  "X", eh? 

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Closing, "X" expressed appreciation if I could provide no further bother on this subject, as it was kind of embarrassing—but that I seemed like a good sport, and I had "done America so proud in the (first) Gulf war..."...

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I had to allow that I spent the duration of that war at Fort Rucker itself,  teaching the men and women preparing to participate themselves how to fly in combat.  "X" said that that was OK, I'd done my part—my whole point being that this person was a credentialed, reliable, and respectable person.  Moreover, this was a person able to communicate to me that something incredible was, in fact, witnessed by that credible person, and that real UFO's are existent to one more person I know.  For me, incredible!

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See?  Quality persons all over the world are having these encounters regularly, reader!  Not happening to you, you can bet that it is happening to someone around you... perhaps even to someone close to you. 

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Eyes peeled for such, you can investigate same!  Yes!  ...Perform a valuable research, and tell the story. 

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Moreover, you don't have to swallow crap from authority when you do the brave thing and report an anomaly.  Consider, a small bravery now precludes, perhaps, that consummate bravery required later on!  Live on your feet or die on your knees (sic)!

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Lastly, the result of your courage will be an ability to hold your head up in a substantively understanding way with the honored "big dogs" of ufology, plus, avail yourself the corresponding pleasure of serving up the "steaming cup" alluded to earlier for those *others* wholly deserving it!  You'll also get a leg up on the future accelerating inexorably towards you... regardless, but that's a story for another issue.

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Less is more, eh?  Read on.