Jeff Crowell
Paranormal Annoyance
So...I followed my state's MUFON chapter and 'friended' the state director on Facebook for several years now but a few weeks ago some disturbing events started. First, one of our 'critical' long-time state investigators up and quick, sending out a rather public resignation to everybody in the FB group. Then, two weeks ago I noticed the FB page name changed....twice in rapid succession, moving to the Midwest UFO Network which I believe was the original name of MUFON back in the early 70's. Then, early last week I noticed that the FB page itself was archived and no longer active. On top of that the state director had 'unfriended' me.
No, I can be difficult to get along with sometime, I can be abrasive and outspoken, but I just tell it how it is sometimes, so I figured I did something to piss this guy off. Two nights ago I sent him a private message and asked him straight-up; did I cross a line and what happened to the state MUFON page? Last night he replies, asking me to call him to discuss what had occurred.
It seems there's been a major mutiny or shake up or migration or what-ever-you-want-to-call up on a national level throughout the entire MUFON organization. There's a percentage of more scientific and empirical minded members who weren't happy with the direction MUFON's been going lately; including some high-level personnel changes and the whole "secret space program" theme during this years symposium, it seems. Add to this the fact that the organization has not only refused to take disciplinary action against John Ventre due to his racist rant, but rumor has it the next symposium is even being held in Ventre's state of Pennsylvania... and HE'S in charge of it! As a result MUFON has lost a lot....a LOT of people, including state directors and key investigators, some very solid people, and enough to thin their ranks to dangerously low levels.
Now of course I can't name my source, but who does that in this field anyway?! Seriously, I didn't get his permission to use his name or such so i'm not calling him out, but I think the signs and evidence are there in many other avenues to support this claim. One big question I failed to ask him was, "why the fuck did it take so long for the more scientifically inclined people to leave?!" We all know MUFON's been going down hill for a a decade or more, and just now people are reaching their limit? but I held my tongue.
He and I talked for about 30 minutes, and though he was optimistic that my state's chapter and MUFON itself would continue I could read between the lines a little bit. He even suggested I officially join MUFON and become an investigator, "because they need good investigators," but from what he was telling me about the innards of the organization it was a little insulting. lol. I mean on one hand he was saying how they've moved from credible scientific work and on the other hand he was telling me to go join. That told me he didn't think all that highly of my own perspective, but that's neither here nor there. What I read between the lines was that this was one of the biggest migrations of people away from MUFON he'd yet experienced and he's been a member for upwards of three decades or so.
The take away is this, I think; watch MUFON over the next several months or year. I think we'll see it fade off into the distance, but whatever change we see in that organization it will ultimately be drastic.
No, I can be difficult to get along with sometime, I can be abrasive and outspoken, but I just tell it how it is sometimes, so I figured I did something to piss this guy off. Two nights ago I sent him a private message and asked him straight-up; did I cross a line and what happened to the state MUFON page? Last night he replies, asking me to call him to discuss what had occurred.
It seems there's been a major mutiny or shake up or migration or what-ever-you-want-to-call up on a national level throughout the entire MUFON organization. There's a percentage of more scientific and empirical minded members who weren't happy with the direction MUFON's been going lately; including some high-level personnel changes and the whole "secret space program" theme during this years symposium, it seems. Add to this the fact that the organization has not only refused to take disciplinary action against John Ventre due to his racist rant, but rumor has it the next symposium is even being held in Ventre's state of Pennsylvania... and HE'S in charge of it! As a result MUFON has lost a lot....a LOT of people, including state directors and key investigators, some very solid people, and enough to thin their ranks to dangerously low levels.
Now of course I can't name my source, but who does that in this field anyway?! Seriously, I didn't get his permission to use his name or such so i'm not calling him out, but I think the signs and evidence are there in many other avenues to support this claim. One big question I failed to ask him was, "why the fuck did it take so long for the more scientifically inclined people to leave?!" We all know MUFON's been going down hill for a a decade or more, and just now people are reaching their limit? but I held my tongue.
He and I talked for about 30 minutes, and though he was optimistic that my state's chapter and MUFON itself would continue I could read between the lines a little bit. He even suggested I officially join MUFON and become an investigator, "because they need good investigators," but from what he was telling me about the innards of the organization it was a little insulting. lol. I mean on one hand he was saying how they've moved from credible scientific work and on the other hand he was telling me to go join. That told me he didn't think all that highly of my own perspective, but that's neither here nor there. What I read between the lines was that this was one of the biggest migrations of people away from MUFON he'd yet experienced and he's been a member for upwards of three decades or so.
The take away is this, I think; watch MUFON over the next several months or year. I think we'll see it fade off into the distance, but whatever change we see in that organization it will ultimately be drastic.
