An open letter and introduction to ATS

I've been a VERY long time follower of this site. When I went to make a new account today with the intention of making this post, I even discovered I made an account back in 2007 that I completely forgot about. In a lot of ways, this place has been a secret hobby of mine. I am interested in extra-terrestrial contact and alternative science. Reading the credible threads on here have shaped some of my beliefs, sparked curiosity, and helped me determine the facts from the fiction.

A little about me; I am 23 years old, fresh out of 4 years in the US military. I've always had a fascination with UFOs, even when I was young. It started, I think, when I got a computer at 8 years old. The internet opened my eyes to an alternate reality, one not portrayed by the mainstream media. While on a family skiing trip to Breckenridge, Colorado, my sister and I looked up to see a UFO. Three lights in a triangle shape, with a white light that gravitated to the middle of the 3 lights and dissipated against a black sky. My sister saw it, and when I pointed it to my parents they politely dismissed it. Understandable, 8 year olds have very amazing imaginations! Though I will say, my parents are believers as well and can vividly recall their own UFO story.

Right now, I am living in Germany, working as a United States contractor for the US government. Popular perception on this site seems to make me out to be an enemy; a blood hungry man of little moral value getting rich off America’s “war for oil”. I am not what the fringe on this site seems to think. I actually believe my company is doing a service for America’s military- that is, providing them with an education. We are not exploiting anybody, merely providing a service for America’s military and their family members and the US government is paying us to do so.

I get paid a decent salary (surely more than the average 23 year old American). I like “stuff”. Popular opinion on ATS is that “stuff” is bad. I drive a sports car, I have a large TV, nice furniture, a beautiful house on the edge of a field with a nice view. I spend my money on traveling around Europe (a true passion that brings me great happiness). Anyone who thinks that money can’t buy happiness has not driven my car 140 mph down the autobahn, or looked forward to multiple vacations a year. These are human comforts, things that have nothing to do with a paranormal agenda that can be enjoyed by all.

I also enjoy watching TV. Game of Thrones is the best TV show to come on in years. I enjoy main stream movies and I enjoy (some) mainstream music. I like blasting electronic and rap music in my car. I enjoy going out with friends, drinking, clubbing, and many aspects of hedonism. My girlfriend and I live together and we enjoy a comfortable, happy lifestyle. But I am not “asleep”.

I don’t believe in a massive cover-up by a government that is already too incompetent. I spent the past 5 years living under the government’s broken beauracracy. I’ve been to Iraq, where I was shot at and hit with IEDs from Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army, the same people who are supposedly on our side. I’ve witnessed how broken the paperwork system is in the government. They simply aren’t competent enough to establish a “new world order” or pull off a 9/11 conspiracy. Politicians aren’t in secret cohorts with each other (in fact, it seems quite the opposite with the current state of American politics). The government changes hands from one party to the next. There is no “ruling elite” unless you consider the extremely wealthy to be that elite. Those people are just rich people on top of corporations; of course they hold more power than you and I.

I see the world for what it is. Again, I am not “asleep”. I am not a sheep, but I am not living on the fringe. I am in the middle of society, making the best of the resources available to me to carve out a comfortable, happy life for my girlfriend and I.

I know we are not alone in this universe. It is arrogant to think so. Religion is a great controller of the masses; it holds you accountable for the things you do on this earth. Without religion, society would surely take a sharp decline. Religion brings great things to many people; comfort when a loved one dies and a reason to live. I don’t believe in any mainstream religion, but can appreciate what a moderate religion can do for people. I also think that is holding many people back from the truth; science.

My girlfriend asked her grandpa (a German who grew up in the wake of 2 World Wars) what he thought of life on other planets. His response went immediately to his faith in Christ. It had nothing to do with what she asked him, but he simply could not wrap his mind around the idea that we are not alone here in this world. The string theory and quantum physics is now looking at 12 or 13 dimensions as having a basis in scientific fact, but we as humans are not able to yet wrap our minds around the immediate 4. It has nothing to do with media controlling masses, and has everything to do with society not being able to accept certain truths. Our human minds, in general, are not capable of processing things that are unknown to us.

I saw a great documentary last night about the Pheonix Lights that keep appearing over Pheonix, Arizona. Here is a link to the documentary on youtube:

www.youtube.com...

What we have here is almost undeniable proof that extra-terrestrials flew over a major American city, wanting their presence to be known. 10,000 people saw these orbs flying over Pheonix. The media made an absolute mockery of the situation. The Air Force made the joke of an explanation of flairs. The same governor who, at the end of the documentary admitted to seeing the craft, went on Live TV with an assistant dressed as an alien and laughed about the situation. Frances Barwood, under the motivation of basic human curiosity, attempted to look into the situation from an objective point of view and was made fun of in the mainstream media. And the story disappeared, like nothing happened. It’s as if the human mind could not wrap it’s head around the fact that something out of the known realm of science or religion happened right in front of their face. We laughed it off, deemed everyone involved crazy and went on with our lives.

Here is an incident that should have been the catalyst for the greatest human discovery OF ALL TIME, and it was simply dismissed by the masses. As long as thinking like this continues, we will never reach the pinnacle of human development. Science will never discover the true nature of the world we live in if we continue to scoff at ideas outside of our known bubble.

I want to end this post with a reiteration of who I am. I am not a wild kook; I am not living on the fringe of society. I enjoy certain aspects of mainstream media. I go to work, 9 to 5. I never had a spiritual epiphany. In fact, I once was waiting for something to happen, some revelation to make me feel enlightened. Nothing happened on this level. I am still the same person yesterday as I am today. I believe in science and proof. As long as we keep DENYING the cold hard evidence in front of our face, we will never know the truth.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, I want to make this one statement. It is people like ME who are going to show the masses the truth. The people on the fringe of society will never hold influence over the mainstream. They will talk in mystic terms and people won’t relate. The technology is out there so that when the next mass sighting occurs, people like me are going to use our fancy smart phones to capture pictures, post them on Facebook, show them to our coworkers, and report them to news media. We will get the word out and show that there are things out there beyond our current human understanding. Society won’t ridicule me as hard; I fit their bill of an average sheep. There are others out there like me, tons of other people who think like I do. We are awake, but recognize the importance of enjoying what’s right in front of us.

reply to post by Wooster


I don't think you're a kook. I think you have a very healthy way of looking at things. I've learned quite a few things over the years and some of those are that there are some people who will never "wake up", some who want to and some who are.

The one's who are you don't need to be concerned about, the one's who can't you can't afford to be concerned about, and the one's who want to..........it might take some work but it's worth the effort. Trust me, it's a very good feeling to know that you helped someone in that regard.

Wanting to expand your knowledge is the first step in making it happen.

I don’t believe in a massive cover-up by a government that is already too incompetent. I spent the past 5 years living under the government’s broken beauracracy. I’ve been to Iraq, where I was shot at and hit with IEDs from Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army, the same people who are supposedly on our side. I’ve witnessed how broken the paperwork system is in the government. They simply aren’t competent enough to establish a “new world order” or pull off a 9/11 conspiracy. Politicians aren’t in secret cohorts with each other (in fact, it seems quite the opposite with the current state of American politics). The government changes hands from one party to the next. There is no “ruling elite” unless you consider the extremely wealthy to be that elite. Those people are just rich people on top of corporations; of course they hold more power than you and I.

some would say with your military connections your a dis-info agent, be prepared for that one
you have been here longer than i, so u know that, i was in a conversation with some dude on here that needed 100% scientific proof, or it didn't happen, i think this is ridiculous cause science is a ever growing field that back tracks on itself, so i hope ur open to ideas and experiences even though there not proven by a scientist in a lab crunching numbers, i have given u my input cause Ive seen arise in nay Sayers on here, not to label u as a nay Sayer but im just trying to get this place back into balance one post at a time while feeding my own need for alternate ideas and news, as u know this is a great site ill see you around

Originally posted by Wooster
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I want to make this one statement. It is people like ME who are going to show the masses the truth. The people on the fringe of society will never hold influence over the mainstream. They will talk in mystic terms and people won’t relate. The technology is out there so that when the next mass sighting occurs, people like me are going to use our fancy smart phones to capture pictures, post them on Facebook, show them to our coworkers, and report them to news media. We will get the word out and show that there are things out there beyond our current human understanding. Society won’t ridicule me as hard; I fit their bill of an average sheep. There are others out there like me, tons of other people who think like I do. We are awake, but recognize the importance of enjoying what’s right in front of us.

It wasn't risking sounding arrogant my friend it was straight arrogant. More and more people are looking to us fringe types for a little dose of truth (yourself included). And "us" fringe types do have technology (cameras, facebook etc). We aren't remnants of the stone age just because we choose to live with our eyes open. And the membership here is amongst the most eloquent and well spoken of any traditional or non discussion board. We don't discuss things in some mystical double speak. Us "fringe types obviously got your attention and the attention of many many more. So stop addressing us as if we were a bunch of cave dwelling mystic wizards or something.

So I leave you with a little piece of advice. Stop waving your salary like a conquering flag. And how your sports car tears up the autobahn. That's not what this board is about. You materialism and bragging about your materialism is not what we stand for here. Keep your wealth it is not a bad thing. But do can the holier/mightier/better than you attitude or the membership here will devour you like a shark devours chum. You came to ATS not vise-verse so please try and show a little respect.

Welcome to ATS my friend I truly look forward to your contributions.

CW

Originally posted by DocHolidaze

I don’t believe in a massive cover-up by a government that is already too incompetent. I spent the past 5 years living under the government’s broken beauracracy. I’ve been to Iraq, where I was shot at and hit with IEDs from Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army, the same people who are supposedly on our side. I’ve witnessed how broken the paperwork system is in the government. They simply aren’t competent enough to establish a “new world order” or pull off a 9/11 conspiracy. Politicians aren’t in secret cohorts with each other (in fact, it seems quite the opposite with the current state of American politics). The government changes hands from one party to the next. There is no “ruling elite” unless you consider the extremely wealthy to be that elite. Those people are just rich people on top of corporations; of course they hold more power than you and I.

some would say with your military connections your a dis-info agent, be prepared for that one

you have been here longer than i, so u know that, i was in a conversation with some dude on here that needed 100% scientific proof, or it didn't happen, i think this is ridiculous cause science is a ever growing field that back tracks on itself, so i hope ur open to ideas and experiences even though there not proven by a scientist in a lab crunching numbers, i have given u my input cause Ive seen arise in nay Sayers on here, not to label u as a nay Sayer but im just trying to get this place back into balance one post at a time while feeding my own need for alternate ideas and news, as u know this is a great site ill see you around

edit on 26-6-2012 by DocHolidaze because: (no reason given)

edit on 26-6-2012 by DocHolidaze because: (no reason given)

Well, certainly not a dis-info agent. Just a guy looking for answers about the universe around him. I don't mean to sound as a naysayer. I respect human experience, and if a person says that they experienced something or saw something, I have no reason to disbelief their experience. I also don't take what they say as fact, just as their interpretation of the event. That's where the quest for knowledge is personal, you must use your own beliefs and bias to determine what is real and what is not.

Originally posted by constantwonder

Originally posted by Wooster
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I want to make this one statement. It is people like ME who are going to show the masses the truth. The people on the fringe of society will never hold influence over the mainstream. They will talk in mystic terms and people won’t relate. The technology is out there so that when the next mass sighting occurs, people like me are going to use our fancy smart phones to capture pictures, post them on Facebook, show them to our coworkers, and report them to news media. We will get the word out and show that there are things out there beyond our current human understanding. Society won’t ridicule me as hard; I fit their bill of an average sheep. There are others out there like me, tons of other people who think like I do. We are awake, but recognize the importance of enjoying what’s right in front of us.

It wasn't risking sounding arrogant my friend it was straight arrogant. More and more people are looking to us fringe types for a little dose of truth (yourself included). And "us" fringe types do have technology (cameras, facebook etc). We aren't remnants of the stone age just because we choose to live with our eyes open. And the membership here is amongst the most eloquent and well spoken of any traditional or non discussion board. We don't discuss things in some mystical double speak. Us "fringe types obviously got your attention and the attention of many many more. So stop addressing us as if we were a bunch of cave dwelling mystic wizards or something.

So I leave you with a little piece of advice. Stop waving your salary like a conquering flag. And how your sports car tears up the autobahn. That's not what this board is about. You materialism and bragging about your materialism is not what we stand for here. Keep your wealth it is not a bad thing. But do can the holier/mightier/better than you attitude or the membership here will devour you like a shark devours chum. You came to ATS not vise-verse so please try and show a little respect.

Welcome to ATS my friend I truly look forward to your contributions.

CW

edit on 26-6-2012 by constantwonder because: (no reason given)

Constantwonder, my statements weren't meant to offend. I'm just stating an observation- society in general isn't going to take someone with they perceive as "fringe" seriously. Not that your experiences are any less than mine, but in order to reach the masses they will turn to people they perceive as one of them. This happens in all aspects of history. Revolutions are started by an average citizen that people can relate to. Highly speculative statements are doomed to be put into the vaults of "crazydom", where as science is an undeniable reality. One tends to lose credibility when they can't relate to the average person.

As for materialism, it is a basic human desire. My point was to say that one can be "awake" while still fitting into society, and that one can even enjoy society's comforts without looking at a paranormal perspective.

reply to post by Wooster


would you agree though, that our science always changes, and what is a fact now can be changed at any point in time depending on our understanding of the universe and the events that take place within?

Originally posted by DocHolidaze
reply to post by Wooster

 

would you agree though, that our science always changes, and what is a fact now can be changed at any point in time depending on our understanding of the universe and the events that take place within?

Absolutely! That's the whole point, science is constantly evolving. We will discover amazing things, but until we can prove it and stop denying proof (such as the Pheonix Lights incident), we will never swing the masses to accept the truth.

reply to post by Wooster


Science is an ever evolving search for the true nature of reality. Of course it carries more weight than speculation. If you will check my profile you will find that science is my thing. The Sci/tech board is my second home

I know that your intentions were not to offend which is why I was not overly harsh. I just want you to know, since you are going to be sharing the same playground as the big kids now, that you might want to tone it down a bit. I want your experience here to be as positive and informative as it can. We have our share of pious windbags, dimwits and bullies preaching from the pulpit. We don't need more.

reply to post by Wooster
The health of ATS depends on having people like you and others who serve or are employed by USG to bring a certain type of balance to this site. Just don't brag about your access to the Autobahn too much, ok? :-p
Welcome and my response would be longer if I were not on mobile at the moment. See you around.

Originally posted by Wooster
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I want to make this one statement. It is people like ME who are going to show the masses the truth. The people on the fringe of society will never hold influence over the mainstream. They will talk in mystic terms and people won’t relate. The technology is out there so that when the next mass sighting occurs, people like me are going to use our fancy smart phones to capture pictures, post them on Facebook, show them to our coworkers, and report them to news media. We will get the word out and show that there are things out there beyond our current human understanding. Society won’t ridicule me as hard; I fit their bill of an average sheep. There are others out there like me, tons of other people who think like I do. We are awake, but recognize the importance of enjoying what’s right in front of us.

You sound like a selfish consumer that is full of themselves. No offence.

I also disagree with most of what you have said.

Two legs bad. Four legs good.

For you.

edit- guys like you are the real problem.

Welcome Wooster

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Originally posted by Sek82
reply to post by Wooster

 

The health of ATS depends on having people like you and others who serve or are employed by USG to bring a certain type of balance to this site. Just don't brag about your access to the Autobahn too much, ok? :-p
Welcome and my response would be longer if I were not on mobile at the moment. See you around.

There are definitely some employees of the government who are "in the know", certainly more than the average person. There may be small cover ups and disinformation stories (such as the flare explanation for the Pheonix Lights). But for 99% of government employees and contractors, we're just average people who needed a job. I feel like sometimes we are demonized on this site, and that by some chance since I was in the Air Force as a junior enlisted member I should have certain privileged knowledge or something. I don't. I enjoyed my time in the Air Force, I got to travel, see new areas of the world, learn a lot of valuable skills and I met alot of great friends. I even hoped I would learn some truth of a government cover up or see some super secret alien technology that was back engineered. Truth is, I didn't. Truth is, 99% of the military and government employees are just normal people, trying to provide a good life for themselves and their family.

Originally posted by Germanicus

Originally posted by Wooster
At the risk of sounding arrogant, I want to make this one statement. It is people like ME who are going to show the masses the truth. The people on the fringe of society will never hold influence over the mainstream. They will talk in mystic terms and people won’t relate. The technology is out there so that when the next mass sighting occurs, people like me are going to use our fancy smart phones to capture pictures, post them on Facebook, show them to our coworkers, and report them to news media. We will get the word out and show that there are things out there beyond our current human understanding. Society won’t ridicule me as hard; I fit their bill of an average sheep. There are others out there like me, tons of other people who think like I do. We are awake, but recognize the importance of enjoying what’s right in front of us.

You sound like a selfish consumer that is full of themselves. No offence.

I also disagree with most of what you have said.

Two legs bad. Four legs good.

For you.

edit- guys like you are the real problem.

edit on 26-6-2012 by Germanicus because: (no reason given)

No offense? That's like me calling you a crazy schizophrenic nutjob, NO OFFENSE!

There is no logic in that statement. I respect you, and though our opinions and life experiences may differ, I expect the same respect.

reply to post by Wooster
You're preaching to the quire. By the way, about those Phoenix lights, I thought it was great that the Governor eventually came clean about not only the event being real, but his seeing it for himself. It may have been a bit too late for the citizens who were offended by his mockery of the situation at the time, though.

Regarding criticism received in your introduction, if there's any advice I would give it is to remain humble regardless of who you are, what you have, or where you have been. That sort of attitude will go a long way and it's something I try to remind myself all the time when posting. Now that we know who you are, here's a link that might give insight into who the rest of us are. (Mods, these surveys you guys worked so hard on ought to be in one location...)

Results of the 2011 ATS User Survey

reply to post by Sek82


It was a big step for a public figure to come forward with the truth, but the damage had already been done at that point. He made a mockery of the situation on TV infront of the masses. He made the entire situation a non-event. The masses said "well, that's that, it's not real because the governor didn't seem to concerned about it. Why should I?"

How many citizens knew that he came out with the real story afterward? How many newspapers reported his true story?

By the way, I enjoyed reading the consensus of ATS members. Seems I fall mostly with the majority of members here. Pretty interesting.