From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <ufoupdates.nul>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:13:31 -0500
Fwd Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:13:31 -0500
Subject:  National Festival Of Extraterrestrial Abductions




Source: The Ridgeway Recorder, Pennsylvania, USA

http://www.ridgwayrecord.com/articles/2006/03/21/news/news03.txt

Monday, March 20, 2006


Today is National Festival of Extraterrestrial Abductions Day

Extraterrestrial abduction claims have become almost common
since the late 20th century and once each year alien enthusiasts
have a day to speculate on the validity of such reports.

In Pennsylvania, a number of extraterrestrial abduction claims
have been documented. The international extraterrestrial
abduction and UFO reporting center, "Mystical Universe," keeps a
comprehensive listing of the reports of such phenomena from
around the world. The largest number of such sightings and
abductions seem to come from California, Australia, and the
United Kingdom. Although the reasons for this are unknown,
Pennsylvania is listed as the sight of 19 such reports. A
particularly famous abduction report involved a group of four
men, three of which were Pennsylvanians, who claim to have been
abducted while camping in Maine.

Four distinct abduction or sighting reports stem from the
Harrisburg area alone and involve up to 17 witnesses. The
Bensalem area is also the sight of four purported incidents.
Other locations such as Mt. Carmel, Langhorne, Easton,
Springfield, Lewiston, Jessup, Levittown, Highspire, Union City
and Vermillion Hills record as many as three reports each.
Unfortunately, many of those reporting such phenomena do not
disclose an actual location and, fearing public censure, only
report the general region or state in which their experience
occurred.

In our own area, no claimants could be contacted to discuss
their experiences. It is very likely though that someone in our
region believes to have been abducted or have seen a UFO.
Statistically, these reports are more common in rural areas such
as our own. Given county population and geographic features, our
area most likely has residents who believe to have had such
experiences, although they may never have reported it.

Ridgway Borough Police and Pennsylvania State Police based in
Ridgway were both contacted in regards to such extraterrestrial
experiences. Neither office reports having any such incident
claims on file. One state police officer claimed that in his
entire time here he knows of no such reports and stated that
something of that nature would probably have been brought up for
procedural instruction at daily roll call. That doesn't mean
that no one in our area makes such claims, only that they have
thus far gone unreported. In researching such events you quickly
find that everyone knows someone else who makes such claims, but
can rarely give you any accurate information.

Local astronomer Richard Steudler was willing to give his
opinions on such phenomena. Steudler stated that he didn't put a
whole lot of faith in such stories. He said he felt that,
without solid proof, the stories remain completely
unsubstantiated, and said he couldn't figure out why no one has
ever gotten any sharp pictures if such reports are true.
Steudler said he believes that there probably is alien life
somewhere else in our vast universe, but he does not believe
that extraterrestrials would be secretly abducting people.
Steudler stated that he felt that visitors with such
capabilities would make themselves known and not be, "sneaking
around."

Steudler has, in the past, seen things as an astronomer that he
himself was unable to account for at the time, but all such
occurrences were later given a valid scientific explanation. He
said that he has read some things on the infamous Roswell, New
Mexico incident that prove, in his mind, that it wasn't aliens
at all. Steudler stated that his research has led him to believe
that the incident was merely an accident involving a Canadian
test pilot working with an American bomber plane. He felt that
the story was simply, "blown out of proportion."

Steudler also believed that many reports of UFO sightings can be
accounted for by ball lightning. Ball lightning, claimed
Steudler, can occur on perfectly clear nights. He also stated
that it can account for the buzzing noise reported by many
extraterrestrial phenomena claimants, since ball lightning makes
a similar buzzing sound. Ball lightning, said Steudler, can also
account for the ground tremors and static shocks that many
people claim to experience in such cases, as it can cause both
when it grounds.

Whether the purported experiences with extraterrestrials that
many people claim to have experienced in the past are bonafide
events, simple misunderstandings of naturally occurring
phenomena, or merely pleas for attention we may never know.
Steudler though did have this to say on the matter, "I hope if
they (extraterrestrials) do make contact with us they have a
better attitude than people have proven to have in encountering
strangers." Steudler referred to such incidents as the European
colonization of the Americas as proof that humanitiy's track
record in such events has not proven the best. With such events
in our own past, it is hard not to echo Steudler's sentiments.