Wow. TamiO, there is so much that you cannot seem to see clearly, I just don't even know where to begin. And even if I do find a start place, I know that I can never finish satisfactorily (in your mind).
But, I will try to assist forum members by making some points in response to some of these comments regarding Mr. Carlos Swett.
Firstly, why doesn't Swett post a "scan" of the letter? May I ask...WHY wouldn't he want to do just that? And indeed, the forum member who stated that Carlos can post a private letter sent to him is quite correct, stating additionally that it would be wrong for JREF to do so without written permission from him.
And JREF has still received no reply or communications of any kind from Carlos as regards this issue. He has taken it up entirely in alternate forums, and has steered clear of us. I guess he's satisfied to stir things up elsewhere, and observe the troubles he's caused herein from a distance, through 3rd parties, such as yourself, TamiO. How very sad for you to be played like a fiddle.
And on that issue, I must confess that I deeply regret to see that you have been employed by him as a minor pawn in his game, and I sincerely hope that you will soon reconsider your position of support for him. Not that I am hoping you will change camps and support JREF - I'm just hoping that you soon realize that you are supporting a man who has dedicated his life to chasing chimeras, and that by doing so, you do yourself (and the "sport" of rational inquiry itself) a most grave injustice.
I have also been told by several concerned parties that Carlos himself has posted my letter to him in its entirety elsewhere on the web. If that's true, will TamiO be satisfied with that? Hmmm...
I just don't feel compelled either personally or as a JREF associate to do anything other than what I am doing about all of this. The letter I wrote to Carlos has been posted. I am not resisting any requests. I am simply avoiding the blind acceptance of the utterly useless ones. But if Carlos contacts me and grants me written permission to do so, I will gladly do so. But he won't.
More to TamiO: Regarding your statement that JREF should be terribly concerned with how "cowardly" we seem in this matter,
well, what can I say. Thousands of self-deluded individuals spread "negative opinions about JREF" every day. Some apparently have even chosen to do it all day long, rather than finding something decent and constructive to do with their lives.
It is not JREF's job to put the efforts TamiO seems to require into protecting our reputation, or into attempting to prevent the inevitable and numerous attacks we receive here daily. People will talk. Some people will talk ◊◊◊◊. Some people are just born that way. Again, the innate within us all. We can do nothing to stop it. It will continue "ad infinitum", as the old scholars put it.
Another statement of TamiO's that amuses me greatly is this:
"Carlos is the kind of man who would agree to disagree, and move on". TamiO, do your homework. Do some research into the past. You are incredibly wrong on this point, and even a modicum of homework on your part will show you how very wrong you are. Carlos will never stop, and it has absolutely nothing to do with his so-called "family honor", of which JREF is entirely unconcerned, being not in any way within our sphere of inquiry, which anyone even tacitly familiar with JREF and its goals should be well aware. We investigate allegedly paranormal phenomenon, and we offer a One Million Dollar Prize to anyone who can demonstrate proof of such phenomenon, provided the applicant and JREF can devise a mutually agreeable and scientific test protocol.
TamiO claims that JREF has neglected to abide by its' duties and give Carlos Swett "a fair chance". A fair chance? To do what? What are you referring to? A fair chance to prove his claim?
I think we have indeed done just that, and I think that any reasonable individual who examines the situation would quickly come to agreement with us on that point.
As regards Carlos' claim, well, it was easily seen that we had given him "a fair shot" to provide proof of his claim, but we agree(along with approximately one billion people around the globe) that the 9-11 attacks had nothing whatsoever to do with UFO's, but sprang forth rather from the workings of irrational minds driven by religious zealotry and an innate indifference to the value of each and every human life. A similar religious zealotry in Carlos' home country, such as you have described in in some of your postings, have indeed given rise to a culture in which people with claims such as Carlos' can gain a wide audience. It is indeed sad that we do not have offices in Central America, as I believe we could do some good there, and maybe even save some lives. Perhaps that is hubris on my part, but I would like to think that saving lives is a quantifiable part of our goals here. Human arrogance? Or humanism? I think the latter, for humanity itself is the very root of our most basic concerns here at JREF.
The origin of the events that Carlos seems so insistent upon proving came from outer space, came in fact from inner-space, and will forever remain one of the saddest examples of mankind at its' very worst. Perhaps Carlos can neither envision nor accept any explanation that places the responsibility for those atrocious acts squarely within the seat of humanity or any groups or any individual members of the human race. I can understand that.
I am sure that many of us have, at least briefly, shared this kind of disbelief following 911, though most of us eventually came to accept the sad facts, such as they presently appear. I only wish it were UFO's. That would be a lot easier to deal with - maybe.
TamiO also suggests that JREF has libeled Mr. Swett. May I ask her for a clairification of that accusation? Wherein has Mr. Swett been subjected to any form of libel from JREF? Are you familiar with the definition of the word? ..."to misrepresent damagingly".
I fail to see how such an accusation can stand up to even the most cursory examination of real events. Wherein have we misrepresented anything? Wherein have we lied?
Mr. Swett's rantings are no problem for JREF itself, though I acknowledge the fact that it is surely a problem within the JREF forums. Every day I regret more and more the can of worms I have unwittingly opened.
TamiO also said, "I would like it if people refrained from adding their opinions"...
Well, I don't think that TamiO is ever going to be happy here in the JREF forums, 'cuz that wish will never come true, and I hope it never does. Carry on, forum members. And on that specific note...
Surely there are more important issues to discuss on these forums than the rantings of the self-deluded, and the support and defenses they might receive from the seemingly reasonable and rational? Indeed, can't we just MOVE ON?
I'm not in any way trying to avoid the issue at hand, or detract anyone from examining it to their satisfaction, but aren't we satisfied yet? TamiO has given ample evidence here that no reasonable confrontation of the facts will dissuade her from supporting Mr. Swett, and by proxy, whether she realizes it or not, in supporting his "claim".
Am I wrong, TamiO? If so, prove it!
I don't think that there is anything I can say or do that will satisfy TamiO, and I agree with previous postings that suggest that Mr. Swett will find a new issue to pursue if I do indeed scan his letter and post it here. But he has laready posted it elsewhere in its' entirely, so I believe this is a non-issue. I believe that this entire matter is entirely moot, to say the least.
The insistence by TamiO that we "scan" the letter in question and post in on the JREF website is another chimera designed to misdirect, originated not by her, but by Mr. Swett. That is pretty easy to decipher. I don't think that this request was TamiO's idea.
Nothing would make me happier than to soon see this attempt at misdirection fail with flying colours. I think that it's high time we turned our attention elsewhere. Mr. Swett has gone away once, and he will go away again, once he can find no more supporters with direct access to the kind hearts and inquiring minds of any and all rational persons herein. Without pawns, he will eventually sink into the marshes, and his noise will fade just as it has before, like a distant echo. As the sole instigator of this entire chain of events, well, the sooner the better. Shame on me.
Chimera; a "fancy" or a "dream".
It is now nearly 7pm, there is no one else still here at JREF, and I have spent the last hour composing this posting. With or without your kind permission, I am now going home to my family.
I'm sure he will check back in the thread soon.