It’s true, Hillary Clinton did say that we’ve probably already been visited by Aliens (E.T.s)

By Robert A. Vella

When considering possible alien visitations to Earth by intelligent extraterrestrial species, discussions usually transpire with the same kind of polarity as religious debates.  There are believers, and nonbelievers.  Aliens either exist, or they don’t.  I find such absolutist arguments puzzling when the absence of fact in both positions warrants neither.  I don’t believe in gods, but I cannot prove that they don’t exist.  I do believe in the existence of E.T.s, but I cannot prove it.  Mine is a middle ground which requires verifiable empirical evidence to discern the difference between subjective beliefs and objective knowledge.

However, mainstream conventional wisdom is not as equitable as I am in considering the existence of gods and aliens.  In America, the concept of a mythological Christian God is sacrosanct while notions of advanced otherworldly lifeforms is ridiculed.  Perhaps the two are intertwined.  Surely the omnipotence of the former would be jeopardized by the mere presence of the latter.  What does that say about conventional wisdom?

Still, conventional wisdom is extremely important in politics.  Those who stray too far from it are themselves ridiculed.  This is probably why no U.S. president has ever publicly admitted to being an atheist while in office or when campaigning for office (note:  Abraham Lincoln did express some atheistic or anti-religious beliefs before becoming a politician).  So when a major party presidential candidate bucks conventional wisdom, it is quite noteworthy.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a minor news story regarding a recent statement by Democratic Party presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on the subject of alien visitations.  Initially, I thought the report wasn’t credible.  But after researching the story, I discovered that it was true.

From The Hill – Clinton: Aliens may have visited us already:

Hillary Clinton says that aliens may have already visited humanity.

“I think we may have been [visited already]. We don’t know for sure,” the Democratic presidential front-runner told The Conway Daily Sun during a campaign stop in New Hampshire last week.

[…]

Hillary Clinton told a Sun reporter that she would “get to the bottom” of UFOs. The reporter said the two spoke before, in 2007, when Hillary Clinton said the top open-records request her husband receive[d] at his library involved UFOs.

She also noted that campaign chairman John Podesta, who served as White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton and in Barack Obama’s White House, is a major fan of UFO theories.

Now, lots of mainstream journalists are having fun with this story.  Some are suggesting that Clinton is in trouble with her party’s left-wing base, and that she’s just trying to appeal to them with some E.T. nonsense.  Others have been more dismissive and even disrespectful.  Here’s a playful take I liked best:

From Mother Jones – Hillary Clinton Pledges to “Get to the Bottom” of UFOs and Aliens:

But these statements are Clinton’s first remarks on the subject during this campaign. They will likely strengthen her support among voters who happen to be UFO enthusiasts and are not supporting any extraterrestrial candidates in the Republican field.

Who said politics is boring?  Nanoo, nanoo!