President Trump posted a directive to release files on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Is this finally our Earthling moment? 

Since the Roswell incident in 1947, citizens and military personnel worldwide have reported seeing and experiencing a variety of encounters with alien craft and beings. Despite strident efforts by U.S. government officials and others to debunk these claims — think weather balloons — the body of credible evidence only continues to grow. 

I just finished reading Luis Elizondo’s remarkable book, “Imminent,” in which he details his leadership of a secret UAP program in the Department of War, and his resignation to promote public disclosure. Investigative journalist Leslie Kean’s work on UAP sets the stage for this too, as did so many other publications. 

Why now? I would argue that humanity is living our “asteroid moment” — the event that wiped out the dinosaurs and reinvented life on Earth. We are in a nuclear arms race. Experts in artificial intelligence warn of rogue systems that may be indifferent or hostile to human needs. Worldwide temperatures have passed the point of no return. These are just a few of our present-day asteroids. We must unify to address them.

Hollywood depicted an “earthling moment” in the film “Independence Day.” I don’t know if the aliens who visit our planet are belligerent. I do accept that their technologies are far in advance of ours. Why do we waste our resources and human capital in petty nation state fighting and culture wars? Is this our earthling moment?

Tom Meuser
Portland