Sent to Snopes.com and Truthorfiction.com in response to their lackadaisical treatment of the Extraterrestrial Exposure Law.

Dear Editor:

In reference to your article about the Extraterrestrial Exposure Law "E.T. Make Bail", I think your analysis is out of date and inaccurate for the following reasons:

1. Apparently, the Pentagon made a comment about it (though I haven't been able to verify this):

"On October 5, 1982, Dr. Brain T. Clifford of the Pentagon announced at a press conference ("The Star", New York, Oct. 5, 1982) that contact between U.S. citizens and extra-terrestrials or their vehicles is strictly illegal."

2. The definitions in the regulation talk about "indirect contact," meaning that everyone is theoretically subject to NASA’s jurisdiction, not just NASA personal:

"1211.102 - Definitions

(2) Touched directly or been in close proximity to (or been exposed indirectly to ) any person, property, animal or other form of life or matter who or which has been extra-terrestrially exposed by virtue of paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
For example, if person or thing "A" touches the surface of the Moon, and on "A's" return to Earth, "B" touches "A" and, subsequently, "C" touches "B", all of these - "A" through "C" inclusive - would be extra-terrestrially exposed ("A" and "B" directly; "C" indirectly)."


3. While the law was repealed, section 1211 still exists in the Code of Federal Regulations as "reserved." According to my understanding, that means it could be enacted again at a later time at NASA’s discretion. Please see the U.S. Government Printing Office website for the definition of "reserved" in the CFR.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?%3C?SID%3E&c=ecfr&tpl=faq.tpl#quest3

Read more about the CFR here:

http://www.originalintent.org/edu/federalreg.php

4. Popular Mechanics wrote an article in 2003 about existing quarantine procedures of extraterrestrials by the Dept. of Agriculture and FBI. www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/1283081.html .

5. The ability of NASA to create and then repeal such regulations at their own discretion, without the slightest amount of public debate or commentary, has a chilling effect on our relations with all extraterrestrials. It is nothing less than bureaucratic dictatorship that is beyond the reach of even the most basic democratic principles.

For the above reasons, I suggest you consider rewriting your article to reflect the full range of facts and information now available about this law.

Sincerely

Simeon Hein, Ph.D.
Mount Baldy Press, Inc.
1942 Broadway, Suite 314
Boulder, CO 80302
303 440-7393 208 882-1583 (fax)
www.MountBaldy.com

Back