Things sure are heating up in Roswell, New Mexico, the new world headquarters of the UFO movement. And why not?? After all, 1997 is the 50th anniversary of the great UFO crash landing and cover- up, that took place in that small town.

What interests me is how UFO mania has gripped this country. There are several factors in play here: A "possible" event, replete with missing evidence. An official government version that lacks credibility (to be kind), and a new government explanation that is even more ridiculous than the original. For an event that supposedly took place in 1947, the government excuse concerns testing that occurred in 1953!! That helps a whole lot.

Why do so many people want to believe in UFO's? I think it has something to do with our troubled times, and the secular nature of our society. Many people are still looking for a "higher power." What better higher power than a super-intelligent individual, who can easily transcend all earthbound authority?

From this, sadly, follows another aspect. If a guy flakes out on his wife and kids for a week or so, being abducted by an alien is a terrific excuse. If he were kidnapped by a mere earthling, he would be asked all sorts of questions regarding names and places. No doubt, there would be some evidence of the crime. But with an alien abduction, he can claim that he was in a daze, and that the UFO, formerly parked in the woods, has long since left our planet.

Thus, our higher power is anything but a conventional biblical God. The God of the Old and New Testaments expects man to be responsible. (Remember the Ten Commandments??) Instead, the alien becomes an excuse for everything you can think of--a sort of all-inclusive conspiracy theory.

If the mill closes and puts the town out of work, we used to blame it on the greedy corporate interests, or maybe the Trilateral Commission. Now, we can say that it is because the aliens are behind it. Maybe they need the townsfolk or the mill for their own evil purposes. Who knows?

Believe me, it is impossible to argue with paranoia. Try it sometime:

QUESTION--Why haven't the aliens ever landed in a populated area and publicize themselves to the world? If they are so intelligent, why haven't they intercepted our media to broadcast messages?

ANSWER--They must first quietly study just a few earthlings, without upsetting us. OR They have tried to go public, but the government stopped them. (But I thought that the aliens were so superior that they could do whatever they wanted...)

QUESTION--Why do all current portrayals of aliens have big eyes and bald heads--sort of like ET? Aren't you basing the alien's description too much on Hollywood?

ANSWER--Not at all!! Where do you think Hollywood gets it from?

QUESTION--How come none of the abductees have been able to produce a single piece of physical evidence of their contact with the aliens??

ANSWER--The Men in Black steal all the evidence.

Well, you get the idea.

Imagine that. The Space Man as the ultimate relief from all responsibility. To paraphrase Walt Kelly: We have met the aliens, and they are us.