And Another Thing
By Gail Hodson Shirk
Releases, Classifications, Disclosure, And UAPs
So much is happening in the UFO world, it’s hard to keep up. Or, maybe it’s not so hard to keep up, as it is to understand and assimilate all the input. Everyone has an opinion, and it seems as though few agree on anything; however, having thought it through, this is mine, and I think it’s the right one.
This last week, the Department of Defense declassified the three Unidentified Aerial Phenomena videos that have been floating around for several years. They wanted to “clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real.”
The videos had already been leaked in 2007 and 2017. Two of the videos were finally published by the New York Times, and the third was released to the public by Tom DeLonge’s organization, To The Stars Academy. People, for the most part, agreed the videos appeared to be UAPs.
One thing I learned from the years working in public information for a governor’s office is words are the tools government uses to communicate something, hide it, or teach a lesson to people who have colored outside the lines of prescribed behavior. When one has been at the center of these tactics, they are fairly easy to spot.
When I read the comment put out by DOD regarding the three videos, two things popped into my mind. Spokesperson, Sue Gough, said the following:
“The Department of Defense [DOD] has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017.”
Gough said this in a statement that accompanied the videos’ release. I was intrigued by her use of the term ‘public domain’. Public domain is defined in how it relates to copyright. If something is not copyrighted, it falls into public domain. Examples are as follows:
- Non-fixed works. To receive copyright, a work must be “fixed in a tangible medium of expression”. If it’s not, it doesn’t get a copyright.
- Ideas. From U.S. copyright law: “In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.”
- Facts. Works consisting entirely of information that is commonly known and containing no original authorship are not protected by copyright. This could include calendars, height and weight charts, tape measures and rulers, etc.
- U.S. Government Works. From U.S. copyright law: Copyright protection “is not available for any work of the United States Government.” This could include federal judicial decisions, statutes, speeches of federal government officials, press releases, census reports, etc.
- Lots of other things! There are many other things specifically not protected by copyright, including cooking recipes, fashion designs, titles and slogans, domain names, band names, genetic code, and “useful articles” that have a utilitarian function (like a lamp).
If the videos were in the public domain, they could not have been copyrighted. This would have made it easy for an organization outside of the government to grab them and claim the videos belonged to them. But, would they have had to copyright them? And how could they have done that in light of the above list?
My second thought as I read and re-read Ms Gough’s statement was how could videos be declassified if they first were not classified? To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science published the video clips in 2017 and 2018, purporting they were declassified. But, in September 2019, Joseph Gradisher, spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare said that the footage had not been cleared for official release. There is a protocol for releasing documents to the public, and this process had been initiated, but never completed.
So, why did the DOD put out the statement referencing the videos’ declassification now, and what was the purpose of mentioning public domain? I have theories, none of which can be proven at this point. However, I am watching TTSA’s activities with the US Army and Navy as closely as I can. I think something may have happened behind closed doors that involved the Navy, TTSA, and the Army which could have caused public consequences.
I also think focusing on the continual announcements by the US Navy will be key to Ufology as a whole. By this I mean, we all have been clamoring for disclosure for how long? As we keep beating on the government’s door demanding they tell us, has it not occurred to anyone else that they have given us disclosure; and the agent of this phenomenal announcement has been the US Navy?
As I reflected on this, I thought of all the presidents of the US who have come and gone, and will continue to be elected in the future. Whoever introduces ET to the world will be held as the most pivotal person in Earth’s history, which is precisely why I do not believe it will come forth through one man or woman. ET entering our global, collective experience is too big for one person to claim as its sponsor. Therefore, it’s being eased in, one introduction, one revelation at a time.
As I process this, I believe it will be to everyone’s benefit to relax, and let it all unfold. Disclosure has happened, and as we patiently watch and wait, the entities themselves will be introduced to us. No one will rush the government, nor our off-world visitors; over some things we simply have no control. Let’s just be ready and prepared for the next big thing. And let’s try to be civil.
The opinions expressed in this article are of the writer and the writer only, and may not reflect the opinions of Spaced Out Radio and SOR Media Ventures Ltd.
Releases, Classifications, Disclosure, And UAPs
Gail Hodson Shirk
And Another Thing
By Gail Hodson Shirk
Releases, Classifications, Disclosure, And UAPs
So much is happening in the UFO world, it’s hard to keep up. Or, maybe it’s not so hard to keep up, as it is to understand and assimilate all the input. Everyone has an opinion, and it seems as though few agree on anything; however, having thought it through, this is mine, and I think it’s the right one.
This last week, the Department of Defense declassified the three Unidentified Aerial Phenomena videos that have been floating around for several years. They wanted to “clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real.”
The videos had already been leaked in 2007 and 2017. Two of the videos were finally published by the New York Times, and the third was released to the public by Tom DeLonge’s organization, To The Stars Academy. People, for the most part, agreed the videos appeared to be UAPs.
One thing I learned from the years working in public information for a governor’s office is words are the tools government uses to communicate something, hide it, or teach a lesson to people who have colored outside the lines of prescribed behavior. When one has been at the center of these tactics, they are fairly easy to spot.
When I read the comment put out by DOD regarding the three videos, two things popped into my mind. Spokesperson, Sue Gough, said the following:
“The Department of Defense [DOD] has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017.”
Gough said this in a statement that accompanied the videos’ release. I was intrigued by her use of the term ‘public domain’. Public domain is defined in how it relates to copyright. If something is not copyrighted, it falls into public domain. Examples are as follows:
If the videos were in the public domain, they could not have been copyrighted. This would have made it easy for an organization outside of the government to grab them and claim the videos belonged to them. But, would they have had to copyright them? And how could they have done that in light of the above list?
My second thought as I read and re-read Ms Gough’s statement was how could videos be declassified if they first were not classified? To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science published the video clips in 2017 and 2018, purporting they were declassified. But, in September 2019, Joseph Gradisher, spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare said that the footage had not been cleared for official release. There is a protocol for releasing documents to the public, and this process had been initiated, but never completed.
So, why did the DOD put out the statement referencing the videos’ declassification now, and what was the purpose of mentioning public domain? I have theories, none of which can be proven at this point. However, I am watching TTSA’s activities with the US Army and Navy as closely as I can. I think something may have happened behind closed doors that involved the Navy, TTSA, and the Army which could have caused public consequences.
I also think focusing on the continual announcements by the US Navy will be key to Ufology as a whole. By this I mean, we all have been clamoring for disclosure for how long? As we keep beating on the government’s door demanding they tell us, has it not occurred to anyone else that they have given us disclosure; and the agent of this phenomenal announcement has been the US Navy?
As I reflected on this, I thought of all the presidents of the US who have come and gone, and will continue to be elected in the future. Whoever introduces ET to the world will be held as the most pivotal person in Earth’s history, which is precisely why I do not believe it will come forth through one man or woman. ET entering our global, collective experience is too big for one person to claim as its sponsor. Therefore, it’s being eased in, one introduction, one revelation at a time.
As I process this, I believe it will be to everyone’s benefit to relax, and let it all unfold. Disclosure has happened, and as we patiently watch and wait, the entities themselves will be introduced to us. No one will rush the government, nor our off-world visitors; over some things we simply have no control. Let’s just be ready and prepared for the next big thing. And let’s try to be civil.
The opinions expressed in this article are of the writer and the writer only, and may not reflect the opinions of Spaced Out Radio and SOR Media Ventures Ltd.