Free A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact by Jim Marrs, Richard Dolan, Bryce Zabel

flying object” or “unknown aerial phenomenon.” It is easier to dismiss alien intelligence when it is characterized as “little green men” instead of “extraterrestrial biological entities.” Alien agendas can be dismissed when boiled down to science-fiction scenarios in which the occupants land on the White House lawn and declare “take me to your leader.” Even the apparent widespread abduction of innocents has become the subject of ridicule on comedy shows. Even today, questions about the subject are often presented simplistically, often with a derisive sneer: “Do you believe in flying saucers piloted by little green men?” Imagine saying yes to that question.
    No one wants their reputation smeared. Such false and misleading framings of the question quickly convinced the world’s academic and journalistic institutions to run far and fast from the UFO subject. Indeed, in this dance of disinformation, it is sometimes hard to tell whether these institutions lead or follow. Craving public acceptance of their knowledge and authority, very few scientists, professors, or journalists can afford to show interest in the topic. As a result, the secret keeps itself, with only occasional government intervention.
    We live in a world in which more than half of us believe that UFOs are real vehicles not of this Earth. Yet, official denial and ridicule continue to rule the day. This may be the greatest cognitive dissonance that any society has ever maintained about something so important.
    On November 7, 2006, for 15 minutes during the afternoon rush hour at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, a disc-shaped object hovered silently near the United Airlines terminal, then cut a sharp circular pattern in the cloud bank while zooming off.
    A pilot announced the sighting over radio for all grounded planes; a United taxi mechanic moving a Boeing 777 heard the radio chatter and looked up; pilots waiting to take off leaned out their windows and saw the object. There was a buzz inside the airport among United Airlines personnel. One management employee received a radio call about the hovering object, and ran outside to see it. He then called the United operations center, made sure the FAA was contacted, and drove out on the concourse to speak directly with witnesses. 12
    United Airlines took statements from the witnesses and instructed them not to discuss the matter further. But one did, and the account soon reached Chicago Tribune reporter John Hilkovitch. Soon, the O’Hare UFO story became the most widely read news item in the history of the Tribune ’s website.
    The FAA and United Airlines initially denied any knowledge of the incident. That is, until it became obvious that they knew all about it. Investigating the case was not easy. Journalist Leslie Kean found that most of the witnesses chose to remain anonymous, citing fears of job security. When a recording was finally released of a supervisor’s call to the air traffic control tower, Kean listened. She heard the tower operator and a second man laughing at the witness on the other end. The operator asked the witness if she had been celebrating the holidays early. Such an attitude forced the witness to waste valuable time, stating to another operator in a later call, “I’m not high and I’m not drinking.”
    The devastating effectiveness of denial and ridicule cannot be overstated. After years and generations, their effects have fully pervaded our culture. They have enabled intellectual bullies to roam free, to intimidate people who know what they have seen, and keep the truth covered.
    Yet, there has always been a fight to end UFO secrecy. During each decade following the Second World War, there have been attempts to unlock the door. Each time, however, there were counter-measures that minimized any gains or defeated the attempt altogether.
    In 1953, a classified CIA study known as the Robertson Panel recommended that the intelligence community tightly control UFO-related