The Groom Lake Desert Rat: Issue 20
Issue #20. December 19, 1994
In this issue...
- Ufo Release: Ten Times O.J.?
- Campbell Gets Special Prosecutor
- Two New Accused Trespassers Plead Not GUILTY
- Legal Fund Established
- Land Grab Status / Outing Proposed
- More Larry King Comments
- Corrections And Updates
- Intel Bitties
- Ask Psychospy
Ufo Release: Ten Times O.J.?
One statement made by Glenn Campbell on the Larry King "Live from Area 51" special on Oct. 1 seems to have upset a lot of UFO buffs (confirming to some that Campbell must be a government agent).
Here is a transcript of the last few minutes of the two-hour show, pretty much summing up the position of each guest.
LARRY KING: "Glenn, do you think they'll come to Washington and say 'Hello'?"GLENN CAMPBELL: "I have the feeling, personal[ly], that they probably obey the Prime Directive--That's from Star Trek.--that they should leave us alone and let us conduct our own lives. They seem to not want a lot of attention."
DR. STEVEN GREER: "Let me say, though, that I do think that within the decade that it is likely that an undeniable event will transpire. There [is] the proliferation of video cameras and other technologies such that some of the events that have happened in the past decades, if they were to happen now in 1994, there is a higher and higher chance that this would result in undeniable evidence."
KING: "Are you encouraged that this administration would help?"
DR. GREER: "Yes."
KING: "Therefore you think that President Clinton does not now know what you may know."
DR. GREER: "I really shouldn't comment on that."
[Awkward pause.]
STANTON FRIEDMAN: "That's a mysterious comment."
DR. GREER: "What I think is that the current administration, the cabinet level people are probably not informed to the level that they should be. And to the extent that they have been informed, it is probably disinformation not information."
KING: "Kevin, optimistic or pessimistic?"
KEVIN RANDLE: "Looking at the history of the government, I'm fairly pessimistic. I think it will take some kind of outside event to make us learn what is really going on."
KING: "Glenn?"
CAMPBELL: "I'm neither optimistic or pessimistic. If the story hits, it will cause a big stir in the media for a while, but we'll go back to our regular lives."
KING: "Just for a while? Come on. Hard Copy would be there tomorrow morning up in Pluto."
CAMPBELL: "Picture the O.J. Simpson brouhaha and multiply that by ten, and maybe you might have the UFO thing."
KING: "Sex in space."
DR. GREER: "I think it will be bigger than that, and I think that what you'll see is a transformation in the way we look at ourselves as a people. People will evolve into a global society instead of national ones."
KING: "Are you optimistic?"
DR. GREER: "Yes, I'm very optimistic in fact."
KING: "And you, Stanton?"
FRIEDMAN: "I'm optimistic. I am concerned that the American people are nowhere near aware enough of how much stuff is being covered up as we speak--the huge black budgets, all the documents, that scares me."
KING: "Thank you all very much for being a terrific panel and for participating on this show that started in daylight and ended in darkness. [...] We also want to thank everyone associated in this wonderful little spot on this treasured earth called Rachel, Nevada, for their wonderful cooperation, and this great crew as well, our producers and the entire staff. Thanks for joining us; have a great time and.... [looking heavenward] bye.
Through the pulling of strings, Psychospy had obtained a pass to the Larry King set, erected in the desert across the street from the Little A'Le'Inn in Rachel. We lurked in the shadows during the rehearsal and show, monitoring the radio traffic of the control room and camera operators. There were a half-dozen cameras: A camera on a moving dolly, a camera on a 20 foot boom, a camera behind Larry, three cameras facing the stage, and a camera on a hilltop a half-mile away. From the outside, it looked like a graceful ballet of cameras dancing hither and yon, but we pitied the guests: You couldn't pick your nose without the world watching.
Anyway, upon return to our Research Center, we found some forty messages on our answering machine, and the phone continued to ring all night. Most of the callers were very angry and said: "I've tried the 800 number and can't get through. Why won't you people take my call? I've got important information about the government cover-up that must get on the air."
One message on our machine came from a Lieutenant Colonel at Fort Dix Air Force Base in New Jersey asking us to return his call. We didn't bother, since we knew Fort Dix was an Army base.
The next most common kind of call were anonymous voices accusing Campbell of being a government agent. These were deep breathers mostly, who left epithets and cryptic threats on the tape and then hung up. The most coherent were similar to the email message quoted in DR #18:
"The show is off the air 10 minutes and I am left with the feeling that Glenn Campbell works for the government. I have no evidence to that fact, I am new to this whole line of information, but Mr. Campbell in my opinion seemed to soft-peddle the entire affair in a much too uncomfortable way for me to give him any credibility."
Other messages, faxed or mailed to us from supporters and detractors alike, seemed to focus on Campbell's "O.J." comments. "Only ten times O.J.?" they said. We're talking about the BIGGEST NEWS EVENT IN HISTORY. If the government releases info about UFOs, it could SHATTER OUR INSTITUTIONS. World religions will CRUMBLE--or, alternatively, church attendance will skyrocket as humanity tries to come to grips with the fact that IT IS NO LONGER THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. World financial markets will fall into VIOLENT TURMOIL and may even COLLAPSE when investors realize that alien technology instantly makes ours obsolete. There will be RIOTS AND LOOTING in the streets as humans see the meaninglessness of our earthly laws. Millions of people will COMMIT SUICIDE, while others will refuse to go to work when they realize just how small and meaningless their lives really are in scheme of the universe.
Other correspondents sent us la-dee-da predictions, not unlike Dr. Greer's, suggesting that knowledge of the alien presence would draw all of humanity together into one loving, cooperative entity singing "Kumbaya."
"Balderdash!" we reply. We may disagree with Campbell from time to time, and we are not ready to announce that any aliens actually exist, but we think his nonchalance, at least on a philosophical level, deserves our defense.
The Real Effect
Human history has always been filled with major disruptions and uncertainty, and still we have bounced back to at least an adequate level of functioning. Any alien presence or agenda, no matter how sinister, must pale in comparison to the truly evil things that humanity had afflicted upon itself over the centuries. Take the Second World War, or any war for that matter: How could the aliens, who seem clinical and disinterested at best, possibly cause as much disruption to society as people systematically blowing each other's heads off?
Most people's lives are irrational and meaningless enough anyway that it is hard to imagine that any release of information will push them over the brink. Some people, already unstable, may indeed commit suicide, just like during every big snowstorm a few precarious senior citizens pass away; the notion of them jumping off cliffs like lemmings is ridiculous. Humans are creatures of habit and convention. They will continue to do what they are doing now unless they are physically prevented from it. All the profound philosophical and technological implications of alien life would be absorbed only over time, at the rate that individuals and society are prepared to change.
Religions seem like the least likely institutions to be affected. Religious beliefs are based on faith and often fly in the face of reason anyway, so no amount of data is likely to change them. We can expect only a temporary instability as leaders of the major faiths race around to find the alien references in their scriptures to prove that they had the idea first. (We'd place our money on the adaptive and media savvy Mormons to easily win this P.R. race.)
The aliens have been variously described as centuries or even millennia ahead of us in technology. As such, we can't expect that much of their gadgetry will be immediately useful or reproducible by us. It is like giving a transistor radio to a cannibal on a remote desert island. First of all, he's got no stations to listen to. If he is very clever, he might be able to figure out how the radio works, but he certainly doesn't have the ability to reproduce it with the tools or materials at hand. In all, the technology is so advanced as to be almost meaningless to the cannibal, who would much prefer a new spear or juicy missionary.
Thus, the earthly economy and financial markets would probably remain stable for many years. People will still need to feed, clothe and house themselves in the traditional manner. Alien technology will not immediately bring down the price of the Pentium chip or obviate the human need for air travel to sunny but meaningless tourist destinations. Money will retain its perceived value, and Las Vegas, like other religious sites, will continue to prosper as a place for people to trade their money for the slim hope of salvation.
The only guaranteed effect of any alien revelations would be an increase in television viewership. Television is our society's guiding light in any time of crisis or change. People will want to know what Dan Rather and Peter Jennings have to say about the aliens, although they will probably produce only the obvious platitudes: Yes, they could blow us out of the solar system if they wanted, but they haven't done it yet, so they probably aren't a major threat. Dan and Peter will only be killing time before cutting to Washington for the long-awaited Big Announcement by the President of the United States. Of course, by the time the President announces something, you know it will be old news, having already circulated on the tube for some time. Still, the people need a leadership figure to offer them the same platitudes as Rather and Jennings, but with the strength and authority of the Man in Charge. The President's popularity rating will soar that night as people cling to their leader, although it will probably fall again to its original level before the next election.
Ufological Conflict
Most ufologists seem to be basically schizoid about the release of UFO information. On the one hand, they say that the government MUST tell what it knows and that the people have a fundamental right to the data. On the other, they say the news will probably send society spiraling into anarchy, destroy our economy, religion and government and drive people to mass suicide. That is not the message to send to encourage the government to comply.
What we are talking about is only information, no more dangerous or destructive than how we choose to interpret it. If prominent UFO researchers run through the streets yelling, "It's the end of our society!" naturally the rest of the populous is going to become upset at any mention of aliens, and the government will be all the more reluctant to release any info. The duty of responsible ufologists is to help prepare society for the Big News by issuing only calm, reasonable statements and speaking about UFO information as though it were routine.
Noisy outrage at the government doesn't advance the movement any. Ufologists say: The government MUST tell us what it knows, and when it does, heads are going to roll in Washington for keeping it from us for so long. No bureaucrat or government department wants to come forward with previously withheld information if they know they are going to be condemned for it in the end. It is more useful to recognize the government for what it is: neither good or evil, but a necessary part of our society composed of individuals who don't all hold the same views. To get what you want from any organization, you have to understand its needs and the concerns of the people who run it. Instead of railing against the government as a whole, it may be more useful to support the elements within it that share our goals.
The disruption of society would seem to be a major concern of the people in charge; perhaps it is the whole raison d'etre of the secrecy. Politically, it should be the goal of ufologists to allay that fear. We want to send the message: "We can handle it, now." Instead of blasting the keepers of the knowledge, we ought to pin a medal on them, tell them how proud we are of their accomplishments and let them turn over the reins to us in a dignified ceremony before we pack them off to the retirement home. These people, no doubt, have been pursuing what they have felt is best for the country, and because we do not yet understand the big picture, we cannot say that they were wrong. There could be a lot of frightening aspects to the alien info. In real impact, it may not be another World War Two, but the truth could still be disturbing enough, emotionally, to require some courage and maturity to face. That it has taken so long to come out may have been justified, in which case we don't have to blame anyone for what has happened in the past, just proceed from the present.
Of course, Psychospy is not claiming that aliens, UFOs or any government cover-up of them are real. We will not be pinned down on this point. But if they ARE real, we believe the secrecy will collapse very quickly when a certain critical mass of social, economic and philosophical factors is achieved. Like the fall of the Berlin Wall, it could happen almost overnight. In fact, the collapse of the Soviet Union itself could be the most important contributing factor to the fall of the Alien Wall. It means there are fewer bureaucratic niches in which to hide your crashed saucers and little gray bodies. With the moral underpinnings of secrecy eroding, and a million internet users now collecting data and making it instantly available to the world, never in history has it been harder to keep a Really Big Secret.
Perhaps it is time for Psychospy to come out of the closet. In 1995, we hope to explore UFOs and alien issues more deeply here in the Desert Rat. We will, of course, remain seated squarely on the fence (ouch!) and let the data speak for itself. Even if there are no aliens, the philosophical topic is fascinating: How do we approach a field of knowledge that seems way beyond our current understanding?
The solution? Just panic. Throw up your hands and run hysterically through the streets yelling, "Aggggghhhhhhh!"
Always works for us.
Campbell Gets Special Prosecutor
Trial Delayed To Feb. 8
Who do you know who gets a Special Prosecutor? Richard Nixon, Ollie North, maybe Clinton if he is lucky. Campbell feels similarly honored to have a Special Prosecutor appointed for him. The new S.P. is Steve Dobrescu, a lawyer in private practice in Ely, Nevada, hired especially by Lincoln County to handle the Campbell obstruction case. The District Attorney, Tom Dill, says that he appointed the S.P. because Campbell's political activities were creating a conflict, but we wonder if the D.A. isn't just passing the buck because he doesn't like to make difficult decisions or appear in court. This sure must be costing the county a bundle.
Now that the D.A. has excused himself from the case, it is interesting to note that he can be subpoenaed as a witness should it prove necessary.
In any case, Campbell has talked with his Special Prosecutor on the phone, sent him his "press packet" and files on the case, and declares himself pleased with the choice. "It is a pleasant change to deal with someone who understands both the letter and spirit of the law," said Campbell. "From what I know of him, I think he is a straight shooter who will make his own independent judgment about the evidence."
Since the D.A. did nothing for five months, and waited until only two weeks before the scheduled trial to appoint the S.P., Dobrescu requested a further delay of the trial to give him time to review the case. Campbell, acting as his own attorney, has agreed, so a new trial date has been set for Feb. 8. The world is still invited.
Some readers have questioned why Campbell has not hired a lawyer to defend him in such an important case, given that Campbell does not even know how to format a motion [DR#19]. Campbell replies that he "wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world," especially the chance to strut and bluster before the captive jury. "I'm learning how to be a lawyer by doing it," said Campbell. "Essentially, the county is providing my law school. I may make mistakes, but regardless of the outcome, I will emerge as a more dangerous legal force in the end."
Two New Accused Trespassers Plead Not Guilty
....And Ask For A Jury Trial
It may be just coincidence, but two visitors recently accused of misdemeanor trespass near Freedom Ridge have pleaded NOT GUILTY in Pahranagat Valley Justice Court and have asked for a JURY TRIAL. Ryan Chivers and Jason Winget of Salt Lake City were intercepted by anonymous Cammo Dudes on the evening of Dec. 1, not far from the "Restricted Area" signs on Groom Lake Road. The two admit to getting lost briefly in the dark while trying to find Freedom Ridge and that they may have unwittingly wandered across the line at some point. The key question is whether they were on public or military land at the time of their capture. According to their account, the anonymous Dudes intercepted them outside the "Restricted Area" signs and then marched them back inside the border, where they were later taken into custody by Deputy Lamoreaux of the Sheriff's Dept.
Unless the Cammo Dudes who captured them show up in court to testify that the accused were on military, not public land at the time of their capture, the two are simply not guilty of the trespassing statute they are charged with (NRS 207.200): (A) They did not WILLFULLY cross the line, and (B) they were not FOUND across the line, except after the Dudes kidnapped them back there.
In any real world justice system, the case would be thrown out instantly, but this is Lincoln County ("...now leaving America") so we can't expect the D.A. or judge to catch on. That's why it is essential to request a jury trial, where at least there is a hope of justice.
This trial is scheduled for Feb. 15, one week after Campbell's.
Legal Fund Established
We find a jury trial to be a compelling concept. It is a guaranteed right under Nevada law for any misdemeanor, but it won't be offered; you have to ask for it. We are grateful to T. Lindeman for putting us on to this concept. We regret only that we did not know about it in time to help the six defendants accused last January [DR#1, etc.].
Imagine what would happen if EVERYONE accused of trespassing opted for a jury trial. This would be the best guarantee of fairness for each, especially when local justice and law enforcement officials seem so entangled in dubious alliances. Imagine a full jury trial, with all the trimm'ns, happening every other week in Pahranagat Valley Justice Court. The tiny system might be swamped, but if this is the price of justice, so be it. Perhaps, in the process, Lincoln County might be encouraged to loosen it's secret ties with the Cammo Dudes.
To help encourage justice here, the Area 51 Research Center has just established a legal aid fund. The Research Center will pay all or part of the fines of any accused trespasser, provided they opt for a jury trial and go through the full legal process. Going to trial is a pain, especially for those who live out of state and must come back, but we also find it a excellent form of education, an opportunity to learn the legal system by doing it.
This offer applies only to INNOCENT accused trespassers, those who did not intentionally cross the line. We cannot defend those who DELIBERATELY intrude into the Restricted Zone and happen to get caught. (What if you get so "lost" that you wander 10 miles inside the Zone? We would have to approach that on a case-by-case basis.) The fund may also be used for other legal pursuits relating to the dubious cooperation between the Sheriff's Dept. and Cammo Dudes, like securing the release of lost film taken by deputies for "processing" and never returned.
Contributions already made by our generous readers to the Campbell Defense Fund will be transferred into the new Accused Trespassers Defense Fund. New contributions may be sent to us at the Area 51 Research Center. (Please tell us your email address or Secret Agent Code Name and let us know whether we can print an acknowledgment of your contribution here in the Rat.)
Land Grab Status / Outing Proposed
It isn't yet time to schedule our "End of the World Party" on Freedom Ridge. The wheels of government turn slowly and there are still more steps in the withdrawal process. We talked to Neil Talbot at the BLM Reno Office for the latest update. First the BLM has to respond to the ten protests raised to the "Proposed Land Use Amendment" (which had to be filed by Dec. 9). How long this takes will depend on the quality of the protests, but it seems likely to extend into the new year. When all the protests are settled, BLM could issue a "final record of decision" approving the withdrawal. However, the implementation of that decision can then be appealed to the Interior Board of Land Appeals--while the land, presumably, remains open.
We think it's a riot that this action, supposedly a shoo-in for the military, has stretched out for so long, miring one part of the government in the bureaucracy of another. No matter what the end result may be, the military has lost this battle badly because it fought the WRONG battle: It fought for the land instead of for the hearts and minds of the people. The last laugh is, Freedom Ridge doesn't exist. It is an artificial public relations concept created here in the laboratories of our Research Center. It has done its job well--like a car that was supposed to last 100,000 miles but you manage to squeeze 300,000 out of it. No matter what happens now we can't complain.
We won't schedule our "End of the World" event until we have a solid closure date. In the meantime, however, some readers have expressed an interest in holding another casual get-together on Freedom Ridge in January. This could turn into the "End of the World Party" if the withdrawal process moves more quickly than anticipated, but for now we'll just call it an anniversary event. It will be a year ago in January that we unveiled the four wheel drive "Freedom Ridge Expressway." At the ribbon-cutting ceremonies--reported way back in DR#1--we welcomed aviation writers and buffs for a "last glimpse" of the secret base before the land might be closed. Hundreds have visited the ridge since then, including respectable journalists from all over the world, as well as the entire editorial staff of THE NOSE Magazine on one of their mindless drink-and-drive sex-house road trips out of San Francisco.
The dates proposed for this anniversary event are Jan. 14, 21 or 28. We encourage input from those interested as to which date is best. We'll call this our Second-Annual-Could-Be-Closed-Any-Day- Now-Freedom-Ridge-Inspection-Visit. In January, the weather can be pleasant (or horrible) during the day, but it is too cold to camp at night. (Last year, the wind was calm with daytime highs around 50 and nighttime lows in the teens.)
[Picnic promo]
Meanwhile, the out-of-touch Cammo Dudes thought they were going to get the land Dec. 9. In anticipation, we hear that they took down the yellow ribbons marking the public hiking trail to Freedom Ridge, which is not yet their authority to do. Time to send another strong letter to the Air Force.
More Larry King Comments
"Now, I might have been temporally insane, but by any chance did you see those lights that started to appear around the end of the show? A couple of them seemed to get brighter and dimmer as they hovered behind those 'expert's' heads and I saw at least one that zigzagged across the screen. I counted around four that just hovered. Were those search lights from Area 51? or something else?"-- OutKast00@aol.com
We offer two theories: (1) Headlights of cars in the distance and (2) moths attracted to the bright stage lights after dark. In any case, to avoid conflicts with the setting sun, the cameras were pointed to the north, away from Area 51. When Larry King pointed to secret base "just over those hills," it was the wrong direction!
Corrections And Updates
The ILLEGAL REPEATER STATION on public land reported in DR#18 has been removed to inside the military border. (We are not sure whether it happened before or after the publication of DR#18.)
Several MORMONS on our subscription list sent us email about our suggestion in DR#18 that Lincoln County elections were dominated by local Mormons voting as a block. These big-city Mormons say that any political lobbying from the pulpit is strictly forbidden by the church. They say that it is unfair to blame the whole church for small-town attitudes, which might be the same in the rural South, where Southern Baptists rule, or in remote Appalachia, where folks just can't read. We agree that there are other theories to account for the unhappy election results apart from the easy Mormon one: The most prominent we overlooked is that, because the county lacks industry and is rich in family ties, almost everyone here seems to either work for the county government or be related to someone who does. Naturally, these people aren't going to vote for anyone who promises "change" because that could mean that Uncle Fred will be out of a job.
Intel Bitties
PHOTOGRAPHY APPEAL. If you have visited the Rachel area and lost film to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Dept. (for "processing"), please get in touch with us. (If you have already talked to us, then reaffirm your presence.) This information could be important in upcoming court cases.
PAPOOSE VIEWPOINT DISCOVERED. Papoose Lake, the mysterious and inaccessible area 15 miles south of Groom where Bob Lazar says he worked with alien craft, isn't as invisible as previously supposed. You can see the Papoose lake bed from at least one mountain far to the south, near US-95. Unfortunately, the distance from the viewpoint to the lakebed is about 45 miles, so you won't make out much without a good telescope--but at least you can say you've seen it. tmahood@netcom.com and spouse were the first to visit the viewpoint, discovered with the help of a mystery source we shall call "C". For a free copy of tmahood's "Mt. Sterling Guide" describing the area, send him an email message. (The internet impaired can send us $1 for a copy by regular mail, anywhere in the world.)
MONTEL ROASTED ON 20/20.THE MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW [DR#15 & #16] got its just desserts on a 9/16 report on ABC's 20/20. In a story on talk-show ethics (or lack thereof), 20/20 recounted the story of a woman lured onto the Montel show under false pretenses, who was then told, on the air, that her sister had had "mercy sex" with her former boyfriend. Pure sleaze, but we knew that already.
WWW SITE NEEDED. The "World Wide Web" is quickly becoming the hottest thing on the internet. (America On-Line promises to offer it soon.) You type in a starting address, and a document is displayed on the screen. Click on a highlighted word in the text, and another document is displayed, providing more details. It's one of the best ways we've seen to organize complex information and make it available to the public.
Roland@cac.washington.edu has set up a WWW structure for back issues of the Desert Rat but the Research Center has been working on a more elaborate structure pulling together a lot of diverse info on Area 51 and related topics (for example: a special section devoted entirely to "Modern Munchausen" Sean David Morton). Our only problem is that we need a reliable, low cost Web server to keep our files on. We've tried some commercial internet providers but haven't found what we need. We welcome advice from other users in finding a "home" for this material. (We would need direct FTP write access and require 5mg to start. Also, we want to be totally "above board"--paying by the mg if we have to--so we can stay at this server permanently.)
NAME CHANGE. To reduce the confusion of our many names and aliases, our mail order arm, formerly "Secrecy Oversight Council," has changed its name to "Area 51 Research Center." Frankly, the entire "Council" could eat from the same bowl, so we thought it would be more direct to call ourselves by the simpler moniker. "Secrecy Oversight" is still our game, but it seems that Area 51 will remain our focus for some time to come.
Ask Psychospy
Dear Psycho:"Are there any female 'Cammo Dudes'? If not, why not, and does affirmative action apply?"--stephenh@netcom.com
Dear Stephenh:
The C.D. force would never allow no bitches. Mostly solid white males, the pride of our country. You can see the Dudes' point of view, can't you? It is doubtful that women could keep up with the rigorous physical demands of the job (sitting around in Jeep Cherokees all day) or that they have the brainpower to outwit those clever tourists. Remember Tailhook? That's EXACTLY what happens when you let women in. We can't compromise national security or the integrity of the force. (Now don't get us wrong, we don't mind a piece of "A" now and then, but sometimes it's just too close for comfort.)
Psycho
