By Luis Elizondo

September 30, 2020

After years of chuckles, eye-rolls, and raised brows, some senior members of Congress are finally taking the topic of UFOs seriously. In fact, so much so that several are willing to put their credibility, and perhaps even their re-elections at risk.  What was once relegated to sci-fi conventions is now taking center stage at political conventions.  In fact, this may be the first Presidential debate where the topic of UFOs is asked directly to a candidate.

Openness, honesty, and transparency are the rally cries of every politician running for office since political campaigns were first held in our country. And as Americans, we pride ourselves that our Government feels the same way–at least most of the time.

But, from a historical perspective, there are many instances where governments have purposely kept information away from its citizens.

On May 1, 1960, a U.S. U-2 spy plane was successfully shot down by Soviet Air Defense systems, igniting a flurry of backroom briefings and secret memos on both sides of the iron curtain. The surprise to many was the fact that the U.S. had managed to fly several successful missions over Soviet-controlled airspace prior to the shootdown. Equally surprising is the fact that the Soviet government had been tracking our flights, but their technology was helpless to do anything about it.  What happened next was a tempest of deception and misinformation by both sides, against their own people.

At the time, the over-restrictive Soviet regime could not afford to admit to its citizens that the U.S. managed to gain the upper hand, and fly unimpeded over Soviet controlled airspace at will.  Although clearly a point of national embarrassment for the Soviet regime, the real reason for keeping this secret from its own citizens and the world had far more serious implications.  Had the secret been made public to the Soviet population, the result would be a lack of confidence by its citizens, and a direct challenge to its sovereignty.  It wasn’t until a successful shootdown, did the Soviet government decide to let its people in on the little secret.

But this coverup wasn’t only a Soviet thing, America did the same thing too. Rather than admit one of its spy planes was shot down by the Soviets, the U.S. released a press statement that an aircraft had simply “gone missing” due to mechanical issues.  To further reinforce this message, a U-2 was quickly painted in NASA colors and photographs were provided to the U.S. media to reinforce the idea the aircraft was innocuous.

During the Cold War, both nations realized that even more important than avoiding an actual intelligence failure, is avoiding the perception of an intelligence failure.  As with other controversies, facts were routinely suppressed and diluted to avoid controversy and stigma. It was only once a solution was found, was the truth of the problem finally revealed.

Like perishable food, all secrets have a shelf life and an expiration date.

In the short term, a nation hiding its vulnerabilities from enemies makes sense, and perhaps even hiding it from its own citizens may be prudent. But this strategy is only good for so long, like perishable food, all secrets have a shelf life and an expiration date.  Like dairy products, secrets that are kept hidden too long often become a liability, and the initial advantage of secrecy begins to actually work against a government’s interest over time if not reconciled. So much so that keeping a secret too long can cause more discord and distrust than had the information been made public in the first place.

In the case of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), or better known as UFOs, that is precisely the position we find ourselves today.  This double-edged sword is in danger of being used against the ones who wield it.

Congress is now for the first time in a position to shed light on the topic of UAPs, and boldly go where no representative has gone before. In the last three years, hundreds of military eyewitness accounts have been covered by mainstream media, signaling a new openness to the phenomena.  Recognizing the potential relevance to our national security, Congress has an obligation to take these accounts seriously.

Rejecting unnecessary and debilitating stigma in favor of bipartisan cooperation and government transparency seems to be the new trend.

Most recently, it has been revealed that several senior members of Congress have received classified briefings on this topic. The result has been by those briefed –  a unanimous calling for increased data collection and analysis of UAP-related data and incidents. It seems the question of “if UFOs are real,” is no longer a question in the eyes of Congress.  As of a few weeks ago, several of our Representatives have solidified their support for the establishment of a UAP Task Force, to include an investigatory body with real funding and real authority.  Most notably, Senator Marco Rubio recently spearheaded the effort of drafting the bill that subsequently authorizes the formalization of the new UAP Task Force bureaucratically.

From 2009 Senator Harry Reid, with bipartisan support from Senator Stevens, Senator Inouye, and Senator John Glenn, helped establish the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), the precursor to the new UAP Task Force.  This effort which has since been widely publicized as producing valuable insight for U.S. National Security was at first considered reckless by many on the inside, too risky, and professionally too radioactive to be affiliated with. So, given the stigma surrounding the topic of UFOs, what drove these men in Congress to pursue something that was considered so fringe? The answer may be simpler than you think–patriotism. These men were willing to take chances and put their professional careers on the line to ensure our Government had the necessary information it needed to make decisions and protect its people.

As my mother used to tell me, “The songs of yesterday, still ring true today!” Although some Senators and Representatives have stepped forward to courageously champion investigations into this enigma, the question still remains, “Will others follow?” As a reminder to our elected officials, history in years to come will judge who was on the right side of this issue, ultimately deciding who in Congress was responsible for progress.

Ultimately, it is in Congress’ hands.

Please remember we all have different opinions, Think Before You Speak or Write Something that is cruel to Others. After all, We are only Humans. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes. To share your experiences or just leave a comment there is a area below. Read or listen.