Hello, John, good to meet you. It seems that you are taking my article personally and for the wrong reasons. Yes, I laid out two positions that define the extremes of this discussion: "believe nothing" and "believe anything." There are people who inhabit those extremes. If you feel you don't, well, then those positions don't describe you.

More importantly, I said that there is no proof that the UFO/UAP phenomena are aliens. That is a fair and reasonable statement. I did not say that belief it could be aliens is irrational, I said that the believe that it's been proven is irrational and contrary to the evidence. That is also a fair and reasonable statement and will remain so until proof is provided. I'm with Bryce: I want to KNOW.

I'm surprised by your last paragraph because if there's a thesis statement for my article is it that this issue is much more complicated than people, and I dare say most everyone, care to admit. My saying that the phenomena is real is a rhetorical truism. Only an extremist would refuse to acknowledge that.

The most important thing is that there be a serious and open dialogue about this issue, as there should be about every live issue. That means brining the subject out of the realm of hushed tones and baseless accusations. Then we wil learn something, and that will be a good thing.