"It is now time to put away this embargo of truth about the alien presence," said [79-year-old Apollo 14 crew member Edgar D. Mitchell] the astronaut who made the longest moonwalk in history. "I call upon our government to open up … and become a part of this planetary community that is now trying to take our proper role as a spacefaring civilization."
Mitchell was speaking at an event convened by Paradigm Research Group, whose leader Stephen Basset warns that if President Obama refuses to declassify all documents related to UFOs,
there's a chance "above 50-50" that the United States could fall victim to another space gap, this time by being beaten by another nation more willing to finally admit "the extraterrestrial presence."
A chance above 50-50? Not exactly a resounding shout-out for hope and change. When the head of a group that really believes in aliens among us is only giving those sorts of iffy odds, I'd say we've got a problem.
As someone raised on a steady diet of equal parts Scooby-Doo cartoons and John Keel's great anti-apocalyptic, performance-art-like skepticism (Our Haunted Planet, The Mothman Prophecies), I don't find UFOlogy particularly convincing, though the government's paranoia-inducing actions in all things related to cigar- and saucer-shaped items has doubtless increased the sales of Whitley Streiber books and alien-abduction advocates.
To recall the last time a diaper-wearing space traveler went to the dark side of the moon (figuratively!), go here.
