Post #10

Reading Response(s)

The idea of alien life being somewhere out in the galaxy is plausible, and many believe that, most likely, somewhere out in the vast great unknown, there is some form of sentient being we don't yet know about. However, to believe that some unknown sentient being is already on Earth and has been here for hundreds if not millions of years, is generally far more difficult for the general public to fully get on board with.

I, personally, was fascinated by the idea of alien life visiting Earth. When I was just a wee little girl, I was terrified of everything. Bugs scared me, pictures of bugs scared me, skeletons scared me, dinosaurs, the dark, demons, soup, low humming noises, being alone, dusk and dawn, heights, roller coasters, blinking baby dolls, and aliens all scared the pants off me. Aliens especially, because after I saw Signs on VHS, I was convinced I was going to be kidnapped and poisoned by an alien race. Not to mention they could easily be killed by water. Just the fact that I thought they could possibly exist kept me up at night. 

When I got older, however, I was able to go to a museum without staring at the floor to avoid looking at the dinosaur skeleton (which was doubly scary for me when I was young). And with my age, I lost most of my fears, and started to become fascinated with some of the things I originally found terrifying. Aliens was one of those topics which I enjoyed researching. 

So why my first class at Flagler College was a Learning Community specifically for the analyzation and formation of conspiracy theories, I was naturally excited. I absolutely wanted my final project to be on aliens somehow. So my selection was Roswell, the most popular of the alien theories, and one with the most evidence to support it.

As I was looking for other alien related theories, I was actually disappointed at the amount of evidence I found in general. A lot of it was anecdotal, circumstantial, or could be easily explained away. However, a theorist could argue that this is merely the plot of the aliens. They are so smart that they can avoid detection, so the only evidence anyone would find of them would be few and far between. This, in and of itself, could be proof. 

Most of what I found followed a similar line of reasoning. Instead of looking at the facts objectively, the theorist would begin with a conclusion, such as "aliens have visited Earth" and work backwards from there. They would provide evidence to support it, and twist contradicting evidence to support their narrative. The tone of many written articles was condescending toward anyone who would dare to be stupid enough to follow the hive mind of folks who do not believe in aliens. And it was for this reason that I began to doubt, and almost entirely dislike many of these arguments and theories. 

I found that the evidence in the instance of Roswell pointed to secret government tests, but not to alien life. I was perplexed why theorists did not jump on the secret government test wagon, but understood when I realized the government had admitted to these secret tests years later. If the government admits to it, it's probably not true, right?

Lack of respect for people. Lack of respect for the planet. Lack of respect. Darned kids these days don't have any respect. No one beat respect into these darned kids these days. Where is the respect? All these boys run around with no respect anymore. No respect for women anymore. These boys treat women like objects these days. No one taught these boys respect for women. Women don't respect each other. Women hate other women. Where's the respect? There's no respect between women anymore. Where are the powerful women who deserve respect? The media does not respect powerful women. Kids don't get any respect. Kids are shoved TVs the size of their palm into their eyes every day because a parent can't show them some respect. How is a kid supposed to learn respect if their parent doesn't show respect? We have generation of disrespect. How many people have you respected today? Do you even know the meaning of respect? Too many people on the street go each day without a little respect. A little respect can go a long way. Everyone deserves respect. You need to respect what I think, because I deserve respect. Anyone who is a decent person will show everyone a little respect every once and a while. Where's the respect? It shouldn't matter what someone has to say, you should treat them and their opinion with respect. We wouldn't have nearly as many fights or arguments if people just showed each other some respect. Every kid is taught they should get a ribbon and no one ever taught them respect. Every kid is told they matter, and none of them know how to respect their elders. If people showed each other a little more respect the world would be a better place. How can we respect our planet if we don't even respect ourselves? No one has any self-respect these days. These girls walking around in next to nothing to get the attention of boys have no self-respect. You should respect their decision to show off their bodies. Where's the respect?

Inspiration

The Enchanted World: Spells and Bindings by Ellen Philips

The Enchanted World: Ghosts by Ellen Philips

The Enchanted World: Lore of Love by Ellen Philips

Work