I keep telling myself I’m going to do a bit of research at the local level, and call around to the various official agencies: police, airport, etc. and ask: “Do you take reports of UFOs? “(if yes, how do you handle such reports?) and if they do not take UFO reports, what, if anything, do they tell the caller? Do they refer them to MUFON, or NUFORC? Pass the caller off to some other official agency in an endless loop of getting nowhere?

I do know that, from my unscientific observations, the local media doesn’t report UFO sightings anymore. As many UFO researchers and observers have noticed, this seems to be the case since September 11. Before that date, our local media did report such sightings. A few years ago I followed up on a local sighting refereed to me by the now seemingly defunct Oregon UFO Review. The main witness had video and photos, and there were multiple witnesses. No one in the local media was interested in meeting with him. In fact, a few days later, the witness was getting a bit paranoid and mentioned something about one of his customers encouraging him not to release any information or talk to anyone anymore. This person allegedly worked for Homeland Security in some capacity. The witness didn’t return my phone calls. The witness was angry and confused: angry at being treated as if he were a kook, and confused that the media would have no interest, despite video and photographic evidence.

It is these kinds of reactions I find astounding. UFOs are being seen by thousands of witnesses and there is no official agency where we can report our sightings. During the Phoenix Lights event, not one government agency took responsibility for taking these reports, let alone respond to them in any kind of in control, we’re in charge, don’t worry m’am kind of way. The reports were ignored by governmental agencies, and sometimes ridiculed. (remember then governor Fife Symington’s joke with is alien - suited aide?)

Instead, some agencies -- agencies we pay for -- will refer the UFO witness to either the state MUFON director, or to Peter Davenport’s NUFORC.

Both of these organizations are small, run on small if not nonexistent budgets, have no government sponsorship or financial support, and no official stamp of government, scientific, or academic approval. They’re UFO kooks like the rest of us, good for one thing: dumping the public’s need to report their UFO sightings somewhere, anywhere, just not in some government al department.

The general public doesn’t know MUFON and NUFORC from three Aunt Dinah; which seems to be part of the point here in this official passing of the buck. These UFO reports get filed away into obscure files, without an active government investigation, and it fades away. Until next time.