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In the months following the event, Symington had observed the press making fun of his friend Frances Barwood for simply taking the sighting seriously in response to public pressure—and she wasn't even a witness. He was also dealing with his share of political battles within the vicious world of Arizona politics, and says today, "Can you imagine what would have happened if I had said anything?" Although his decision is understandable, this is a sad commentary on our unspoken political policy toward UFOs, and the power of that irrational, habitual taboo that most of us have not questioned and that led Governor Symington to believe he would be branded a "buffoon" or a "loony" if he acknowledged something he and countless others had seen in the sky. Although he was at risk politically, such damaging labels are not only dangerous for political figures such as he, but are also harmfully applied to many everyday people who witness the phenomenon. Imbued with prejudice and an irrational fear of the unknown, these attitudes have been entrenched in our culture for over fifty years, and have not been well understood. But Symington's experience, for one, shows why elected officials and military brass in America wait until after retirement before risking saying anything at all 4 a anvas aoa about UFOs, no matter what their experience. At the time, this governor found himself facing an unprecedented situation. Suddenly confronted with an escalation of public outcry following unanticipated national news coverage of a state-wide UFO sighting, he had to act fast. He felt it had become urgent that he change the mood. His administration was on its own in that moment, with no idea situation. what had passed through the skies over Phoenix, or how to handle the aftermath of this momentous event. There was no support coming to state officials from the federal government, no answers from local authorities, and public ridicule had been unleashed against those daring to question what happened. So, relying on his own personal strengths in dealing quickly with a highly unusual problem, Governor Symington opted for a public spoof to lighten things up and cut the momentum with one sharp blow. "I never felt this sighting represented any kind of a threat," he explains. "I also had a good sense of humor. Everyone, including the media, was caught off guard. This seemed like an effective way to change things." Imagine, for a moment, if a government office tasked with the investigation of UFO events such as this— exactly what we're hoping to establish now—was in place at the time of the Phoenix Lights, and the case had been properly handled. One can envision the following: During the actual event, as the result of a few calls from Washington, pilots already aloft could have been asked to fly near the objects, observe them, and photograph them if possible. Air Force jets would have been scrambled to get a closer look and attempt to engage the objects further. Civilian and effective. I had to make a choice. My top priority was to fulfill the responsibilities I had been elected to accomplish as governor.