UFO disclosure: What should Obama say?

By Steve Hammons

On July 24, 2009, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to a caller’s question on C-SPAN about UFOs.

The caller, identified as “Ryan from Seattle,” noted that a wide range of Americans are calling for more transparency on the UFO situation.

Gibbs said he took the question seriously but stated he had not been briefed on the topic and has not talked with President Barack Obama about it.

Will the time come when a more formal government statement about UFOs is appropriate? Or, will “disclosure” continue to gradually emerge through indirect, vague and discreet methods?

As the public information officer for the Obama administration, Gibbs could be involved in helping develop talking points on this subject.

COMPLEX AND SENSITIVE

It is undoubtedly a complex and sensitive matter. According to some reports, past U.S. presidents have received only limited briefings on the subject. Presidents don’t always have a “need to know.”

Likewise, there is a view that the general public does not have a need to know. In fact, some elements of the situation could be troubling for the public. In addition, there is probably much that the U.S. government and other governments internationally do not know or do not fully understand.

As a result, there may be a legitimate view that it is best if a formal statement on the status of the UFO situation does not occur and that people inquire and discover information about this subject on their own.

Of course, movies and TV, books and articles, and other kinds of media platforms often serve to inform us and get us thinking about the possibilities involved.

This “grassroots” kind of emerging awareness might have significant advantages over a “top-down” announcement from government officials. That said, recent releases of reports and documents by various international governments have been interesting and informative.

When dealing with such an unconventional situation, maybe the standard kinds of governmental public statements are not the most effective and appropriate means to communicate with the public. It might be very challenging for any president or his administration to handle such a delicate, complex and important task.

But, just for a moment, let’s guess how someone like Gibbs might handle such a public announcement.

PRESS BRIEFING

“Good morning. You know, we get inquiries from Americans on many kinds of topics, and we try to be as responsive and open as possible.”

“As you are aware, President Obama is interested in government transparency and being as straightforward with the American people as we can be, while respecting the need for discretion at times.”

“One of the interesting subjects that some Americans ask about is the topic of UFOs and what the U.S. government might know about them. We want to try to address this question to the best of our ability, but you should consider my comments today as a preliminary introduction, with more follow-up at a later time.”

“In the summer of 1947, something crashed in the region near Roswell, New Mexico. Local public safety officials and U.S. Army Air Forces personnel from the nearby base responded to the scene. It was quickly determined that this was an aircraft or spacecraft of some kind that was piloted or occupied by apparently intelligent beings who were not humans.”

“At the time – immediately following the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War – it was decided that it was very important to maintain the secrecy of this event, as scientists and others tried to determine what was going on and how to handle it.”

“In the years and decades since the so-called ‘Roswell incident,’ much more has been learned. However, our knowledge and understanding of the situation is still incomplete, and we are learning more all the time.”

“There are some details of the history and current status of this subject that we will be able to brief you on in the coming months. However, some aspects must and will remain classified until such time as it is determined that releasing such information is in the best interests of the American people and the United States of America.”

“I can say that maintaining the safety and security of the United States and all Americans continues to be a top priority for this administration, whether we are talking about terrorists, natural disasters or any other kinds of scenarios that might present themselves.”

“We encourage Americans to maintain open minds, and also maintain a healthy skepticism, about various reports, claims, rumors and perceptions on this interesting and complicated subject. There is a lot of material and information out there about this subject – some of it reliable and some of it inaccurate.”

“Americans can rest assured that your government is doing all it can to handle the many aspects of this situation in the most responsible way possible, working with experts from many fields, both nationally and internationally.”

“I won’t be taking follow-up questions on this today. And, as I mentioned, I hope to be able to provide more information to you in the coming months.”