UFO UpDates Mailing List
From: Jim Mortellaro <Jsmortell@aol.com> Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2000 18:17:00 -0500 (EST) Fwd Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 07:36:25 -0500 Subject: Re: TV Producers and Joe Nickell >Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 12:52:50 -0600 >From: Jerome Clark <jkclark@frontiernet.net> >Subject: Re: TV Producers and Joe Nickell >To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <updates@sympatico.ca> >>Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 11:18:28 -0500 >>From: Greg Sandow <gsandow@prodigy.net> >>Subject: Re: TV Producers and Joe Nickell >>To: 'UFO UpDates - Toronto' <updates@sympatico.ca> >>>Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2000 17:23:50 -0500 >>>From: Michael J. Woods <mike.woods@sympatico.ca> >>>Subject: Re: TV Producers and Joe Nickell >>>To: updates@sympatico.ca >>>Others have already pointed out the plethora of UFO shows >>>available. I'll add that I've spent the last 16 years of my life >>>as a working journalist here in Canada, in broadcast and print. >>>I know a lot of people at AP in the U.S. Name the reporter, I'll >>>ask them myself. It's far more likely the reporter spent a week >>>looking into UFOs, talked to one too many obvious nutbar or >>>raving paranoid and decided it wasn't worth the bother. >>I'm not calling Sam a nutbar or a raving paranoid, but claims >>that skeptics are government agents are -- at least in my view >>-- exactly the kind of thing Michael means. I'm a journalist >>myself (20 years as a music critic and music reporter), and one >>thing that makes any journalist suspicious is unfounded >>accusations. Doesn't matter if the subject is UFOs or the >>internal politics of the Boston Symphony. If you hear someone >>making serious charges without concrete evidence to back them >>up, you write that person off. >Well said, Michael and Greg. But something needs to be added, I >think, about why we should not charge somebody with being a >gummint agent without clear and specific evidence to that >effect. I might interject here that I've been called a gummint >agent myself on a few occasions. I appeared on a McCarthy-style >list Richard Hoagland was circulating some months ago. Once I >was fingered as an agent by no less than channeling Space >Brothers. >Yes, it's amusing -- up to a point. Beyond that, as my friend >Bill Chalker once pointed out to me, it's a bit scary. In >ufology as in other walks of life, there are plenty of paranoids >out there. Some paranoids are armed. I hope I am not sounding >like an alarmist when I say that unfounded charges could >potentially put somebody at risk of retaliation from a >weapon-wielding nut. Armed lunatics striking out against >fantasized gummint conspiracies have already caused significant >loss of life, so the danger is surely not purely imaginary. >In any event, the hurling of reckless accusations against those >who merely hold an opinion with which we disagree does more to >reduce ufology's credibility than any gummint agent ever could. Quite so, Mr. Clark... This world is ruled by violence. "It ain't even safe no more in the Palace of the Pope!" Sayeth Dylan. But " ... on that path lies danger ..." (Dune). Stop wincing. What I mean is that there is far less danger from armed loony bins as there than unarmed ones. Words bring the greatest fear to the mind and spirit of we mere mortals than does a .357 magnum wheel gun. Truth be known, being armed in some circles is tantamount to being a loony bin. But the greater danger from men, armed or otherwise, is not his arm, but his mouth. And are you aware that men have been killed by words. That kind of dying is hard. It reduces the immune system to mush. It turns tight asses into quivering masses of unmolded jelly and takes with it, the spirit of the man. Words are the biggest danger. And words are the purview of too many who should be licensed to write them but are not. Some write books. Some speak their words. Some write their opines down in newspapers. Critics carry the most responsibility and the least judgment. They know everything there is to know. These are the ex-spurts. Some have never achieved the status of has beens' and therefor are merely spurts. Sorry Jerry, but the danger is from the written and spoken word proffered by ex-spurts, just spurts and even less often, by those who have truth. In this age of the Internet, everyone has access to writin' an' cypherin' and not everyone is prepared for either the writing of the words or the hearing of such divers opinions. Now is a time of learning for all of us. It is a lot like carrying a gun. Gotta pass the test demonstrating knowledge of the rules and understanding of the laws. Gotta demonstrate that you are not now or have ever been, a felon, a crazed Postal Worker (or other type of crazed person) and must be able to be spoken for by people such as judges and other important people like politicians and other criminals. Very important to the judge that an ADA, Senator, Congressman, City, County or State official is willing to speak on your behalf. Then you wait for your FBI, NCIC, State, Federal and local police records (if any) or fingerprints to show up on the NCIC computer and if all is well, you get a license. Sometimes the judge wants to see you in person. Just to make certain that the picture he's looking at does not hide a nut case lurking behind the benign grin. Ah, but virtually anyone can write something, especially on this venue (the Internet, not EBK's venue) and none of us is licensed to read OR write here. Kinda scary that is. Shoot, and you're worried about armed loonies! What about loonies armed with ill will, with lies, with the gift of BS? What about crazed paranoid schizoids lurking behind the facade of sanity. You know, many nuts sound perfectly sane. And some of them sound VERY sane. Take my brother in law. Stage two syphilitic, postal worker. Armed and dangerous. But not from his arms. From inside his soul. "On your(sic) path lies danger. It points away from a whole bunch of dangerous people, Jerry. Let me give you an example. I would rather insult any licensed citizen (in my state - can't speak for the others) than one or two of the paranoids who occasionally impute Updates who are NOT armed. And, I'll take mine out of it's holster and place in the safe in the first place but NEVER the latter. And to think that I didn't know that two years ago scares the living bajeebers outta me. Jim Mortellaro
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