Anatomy of the UFO Debunkers - Part Two

Is the art of debunkery only used by skeptics with aWhen there are reports of UFO sightings, quite often
sinister agenda to sabotage the whole UFOwe hear reasonable explanations such as
phenomenon? Or can any good come out of thisexperimental aircraft (whether US, Russian, or
process at all?whomever), weather balloons, lights on airplanes,
Alright, a little debunkery is necessary and healthy. Youhoaxes, swamp gas, optical illusions, wild imagination,
have to start by attempting to disprove a particularetc. Such ideas may come from the media, or planted
UFO case, see if it holds water, to determine if it's aby some unknown intelligence faction, or the usual
mistaken sighting, a genuine sighting, or a hoax. It coulddebunkers. Yes, exploring the most reasonable
be just an airplane high in the sky, a weather balloon, orexplanations is healthy, but if none of the usual criteria
even a silver-painted Frisbee tossed up there forcan actually apply, you just may have a real alien
laughs. It could be a trick of the light, an optical illusion,spacecraft on your hands.
heat waves dancing on a rooftop, anything at all. ItOften someone from the Intelligence community, or a
could be a bird, or a plane, or even Superman! Alright,hired shyster, will spread disinformation to deny the
that last one should definitely be debunked.usual UFO accounts. And sometimes they toss in
We have to be debunkers first, then if the evidence istotally absurd stories intending to make the whole UFO
conclusive and credible enough, we can decide that it'sphenomenon sound ludicrous. Much of this you'll read in
quite possibly legitimate. So amen to healthythe tabloids as well. When you see a photo of the
debunkery. But over-zealous cynical debunkery ispresident shaking the hand of a bug-eyed, big-headed
dangerous. When they diligently claim all UFO casesgrey alien in a tabloid rag, you have to know it's phony
are false, because ETs don't really exist, that's the- right?
extremist view of debunkery. All cases must beTo clarify a point, or to insult most people's intelligence,
weighed with a balanced process and attitude.we're talking about Unidentified Flying Objects, or
Otherwise, the truth can't be ascertained.UFOs. In general, all of those mysterious objects these
The usual stubborn debunker claims that alien shipswitnesses observed have been flying objects that
have not ever visited our world, that witnesses arewere not clearly identified. They could be anything
imagining things, or they're just telling tall tales. They actfrom a weather balloon to a Frisbee. Claiming you
according to their staunch skeptical beliefs withoutwitnessed a UFO is pretty general, so it could be
even trying to find the truth of the matter. From oneanything at all, and not necessarily alien in origin. That's
standpoint it sounds like they're too lazy to find out, butwhy people have to be specific, and if an eyewitness
I think it's that they're afraid to discover what the truthcan confidently declare that what he has seen is an
is.alien spacecraft, then we should consider it. I didn't say
Stanton Friedman, in his book Flying Saucers andtotally agree with him, but his case must be thoroughly
Science, says, "Another important rule for some of theinvestigated to determine exactly what he saw.
attackers is that absence of evidence is evidence forSadly, the expert debunker, as well as the lazy
absence." This means that if they don't see the proofarmchair debunker, will too hastily declare these
with their own eyes, it's probably not there. Basically iteyewitnesses as crazy crackpots, not considering any
means they're not looking for it. They're not looking forclues or evidence to the contrary. So, with help from
proof, evidence, circumstances, or any information thatthose pesky debunkers, UFOs are being swept under
would justify the existence of UFOs and ETs.the rug by the government - joining with the rest of the
Debunkers don't want to admit it, but they arecover-ups and conspiracies that run rampant across
ostriches sticking their heads in the sand. They don'tthe planet.
want to know the truth, and they don't want to find out.So, are the observing aliens shaking their bug-eyed big
Their truth is the only true, in their opinion, even if it'sheads at our foolishness? It's hard to tell -we don't
wrong.know if they really exist.