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UFO UpDates Mailing List

From: Dennis Stacy <dstacy@texas.net>
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 18:35:25 -0500
Fwd Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 19:57:53 -0400
Subject: Re: Budd Hopkins


>To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@globalserve.net>
>From: Jerome Clark <jkclark@frontiernet.net>
>Subject: Re: Budd Hopkins [was: Mad Maxad Max: Beyond the Blunderdome]
>Date: Wed, 16 Jun 99 14:50:04 PDT

<snip>

>It's not enough, one gathers, simply to argue, as
>civilized discourse would have it, that the man's
>[Budd Hopkins's] ideas are misguided.

<snip>

>Jerry Clark


OK, let's argue that, and just that alone. The man's ideas are
misguided. Now, you'll want to know why. You can start with his
indefensible support of the Roper Report numbers. Or, if you
choose, you can support the Roper Report numbers yourself, thus
explaining why Budd's ideas _aren't_ misguided.

So, let's ask this: do you support the Roper Report numbers as
anywhere near an accurate reflection of the number of Americans
abducted by ET UFOs annually? If not, does this indicate that
Hopkins is simply _misguided_ (or something else) in this
particular area?

Note that both questions can be answered by a simple Yes or No.

Let's go no further for now: Is Hopkins misguided in his touting
of the Roper Report numbers or not?

If you think he _is_ misguided in terms of the Roper Report
numbers, would you please explain why, knowing Budd as well as
you do? And if he's misguided in this particular regard, is it
conceivable that he's misguided in other areas, as well, and
possibly irresponsible in one or two?

Or is that something none of us should consider -- because,
after all, Budd really is a nice guy and I'm not?

I think all of ufology is justified in saying that Sagan was
deified by skeptics and scientists alike. My problem is that I
see Hopkins being treated in the same fashion by believers and
ufologists. But Hopkins is only as good as his evidence, and
there is absolutely nothing in his evidence (or Jacobs's or
Mack's) to support the Roper Report numbers, nothing, absolutely
nothing, and it is irresponsible in the extreme of Hopkins to
continue to claim, suggest, or declare otherwise to the American
public.

I'm glad that Jerry has confessed to his past sins and errors,
i.e., his book supporting a paranormal, psycho-social
explanation of the UFO phenomenon. If everyone on this thread is
lucky, maybe I'll confess to a few sins of my own. But not until
Budd Hopkins does.

On the other hand, maybe Budd's never wrong about anything.
Maybe 3.7 million Americans _were_ abducted last year. And the
year before that, and so on. But, somehow, I don't think so.

Dennis