I was not putting down Mitchell, I was putting down how the media and general public
think that because some guy flew into space, or is an expert on cosmology as Einstein
was and Hawking is, that they are now qualified to be experts on every subject
regarding the Universe and God. That is what I find ridiculous.

Obviously Mitchell would not have been chosen to walk on the Moon by NASA if he
were not very qualified for the job. However, this ability does not make him an equal
expert on all other subjects, especially those with a tangenital relationship to space.

And I was also getting tired of everyone gushing about astronauts and Mitchell's
Apollo 14 crewmember Shepard in particular like they were gods. They were and are
human beings with flaws and quite frankly the Apollo 14 mission was not the best of
the bunch in terms of geological science return. I know you may not care about that
subject, but it is clear I need to really explain myself here.

Now this "Am I Ready?" for alien contact business. So if I am not "ready" to meet an
alien - and please tell me who really is on this planet, though I can guess your answer -
does this mean I am therefore unqualifed in your view to discuss the subject? Well,
then I guess I better keep my views on a lot of things to myself.

You miss a really key point about real scientific debate - the importance of needing
evidence and the expression of those who disagree with you. You will say otherwise,
but how often have I seen YOU put down people who don't accept lock, stock, and
barrell every UFO story that comes out of the woodwork, regardless if we know the
background of the people involved or the details.

I want to know if there is life beyond Earth. I too have been studying the subject
for a very long time, including the UFO field. I am anxious and eager to know, not
cynical. But if you tell me the Truth will be denied me and all others who do not
buy into your view on the subject - well, then, you know what I think that has
the distinct sound of.