Conspiracy Theory- UFO in Mississippi

By: Theodora Ferrari Moutinho

    The Pascagoula Abduction

    In 1973 something beyond the unknown happened to two men named Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker. The 43-year-old, Charles and the 19-year-old, Calvin were fishing on the coast of Pascagoula Mississippi on a calm night in the middle of October when creatures from outer space decided to take them on a wild ride. Both men claimed to have been abducted by aliens. 

What Allegedly Happened 

    Calvin was a new guy in town and Charles had invited him to an innocent evening fishing trip. The pair claimed that they had been fishing for a few hours before the experience happened. They claimed they were about to throw in another bait when suddenly a buzzing sound took over. They saw two bright blue lights flash in the sky and a foreign floating object appeared. Charles described it as a "30 to 40-foot wide object with a dome on the top". They then said the floating device started hovering closer to where they were and suddenly three creatures floated out of the spaceship. 

    Hickson and Parker both agreed they were paralyzed and couldn't move as if the creatures had some sort of control over their bodies. They were grabbed by some sort of claw-like arm and placed in the mothership.  While they were in there, they were conscious but couldn't help themselves. They underwent a series of experiments and were tested on. 

    Agreeing or Debunking the Conspiracy

    I have always been attracted to conspiracy theories and all things eerie and frightening. I am a fan of horror and sci-fi movies so I have had my fair share of entertainment on the topic of aliens and outer space beings. I remember seeing a quote back on a website called "Tumblr" that stated “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” This made me dig deeper into the real-life stories of people who got abducted or claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials. I believe Charles and Calvin. I think that obviously some of the UFO sightings that have been rolling around the internet for years are fake and manipulated but some definitely have to be true. 

    After doing my research around 2015 on the topic, I found out that most people who claim to have gone under alien tests all have the same description of the beings; pale, owl-like creatures. I am almost 100% sure we are not alone in the universe, there is so much that has yet to be discovered, and eventually, we will evolve as a society and realize there are other civilizations living amongst us. 

    I have to admit, being a lover of conspiracy theories and learning all about them throughout the years, I know that there are some that are just absurd, but the Pascagoula Abduction is not one of them.

    

Mattress Firm Conspiracy Theory

 Mattress Firm Conspiracy Theory

Mattress Firm is a very well known mattress company that sells and has stores all over the nation. You see them everywhere but it's one of those places that most people just drive by and have never really gone into. There was a conspiracy theory that was started a few years back that mattress firms are a front for money laundering. On average, a person needs a new mattress every 7-10 years. This means that the demand for mattresses is not very high especially since they are so expensive and nonessential. As of 2018, there are 2,600 mattress firm stores in the United States, which means that there are approximately 52 in each state. These numbers are absurd when you think about how this is just one mattress company. After looking on google how many are in my area, there are 25 in just the Tampa area alone. There is also always sales going on at these stores, which makes it confusing on how they are able to stay afloat with 25 stores in a 20 mile radius all having half off sales. In just Chicago Illinois alone, there are 235 stores. 

The company is owned by Steinhoff International, which is the second largest furniture retail company in the world. This company is currently under criminal investigation for fraud. They had a CEO, Markus Jooste who ran a huge chunk of the company. Steinhoff was one of the largest companies in the Johannesburg stock exchange. They employed about 50,000 people in South Africa and the top workers were some of the richest people in the country. After Markus Jooste resigned everything went downhill. There are allegations that Steinhoff was hiding financial irregularities for years. In 2016, Steinhoff bought out mattress firm for 2.4 billion, which is more than twice what the company was worth. Right after this purchase, Jooste had a falling out with one of the largest suppliers of mattress firms, which hurt sales dramatically. These are the main reasons why this company is being investigated for fraud, there is clearly more going on the inside than we know.

After learning all this information, it really took me by surprise. I have never really thought about a mattress firm in my life. I always see them driving around, but to me it was just like any other store. I now have a completely different perspective and it leaves me wondering if mattress firms are actually laundering money through their company. 

Money Laundering “is the concealment of the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers involving foreign banks or legitimate businesses.” This means that when people are illegally making money, typically through drugs, terrorism or illegal businesses, they use a real business to hide the money and make it look like its coming through that. Many money launderers that have kept their money in their home and used their mattresses to hide the money, which would make sense why they would target mattress stores. I definitely think that this could be true, but there are so many conspiracy theories that seem so real and are proven wrong. Although this was never proven wrong, I don't think you can assume that the mattress firm is money laundering until you have actual facts. Yes, I do definitely think that the Steinhoff company is suspicious, I don't think you can base this off of no real facts. Overall, I think that this was eye opening and now when I see mattress firms I'm going to think twice about what's really going on in there. If any more information comes out about the Steinhoff company or mattress firm I would definitely reevaluate this theory, but right now I don't think there's enough information to believe it.

Skinwalker Ranch

 

Skinwalker Ranch

By: John Mason

Skinwalker Ranch has been deemed to be one of the spookiest places to be on earth.  The ranch is located in northern Utah and spreads across over 500 acres of land. Since the Skinwalker Ranch was built, there have been numerous reports from people of strange activity happening both on the land surrounding the ranch and in the sky. The amount of paranormal activity that has been reported at Skinwalker Ranch is unheard of compared to other locations. There have been reports of UFO’s, Sasquatch, cattle mutilations, psychic manifestations, and much more (Ross, 2021). Is there enough evidence to support all of the stories surrounding Skinwalker Ranch, or is it all just a hoax?

Above is a photograph of Skinwalker Ranch and to the right is an aerial view of all the land that surrounds it. Skinwalker Ranch was purchased in 1994 by Terry and Gwen Sherman who shared their shocking stories of their experiences and what took place at the ranch (Ross). One night Terry Sherman was outside of his ranch and saw an animal that looked like a wolf or a coyote. The animal attacked one of Terry’s calf’s that he had on his farm. In an effort to protect his calf, Terry fired his gun and shot the mysterious animal, but strangely the animal was not hurt and wandered off like nothing happened. Terry was shocked and could not believe how an animal could be shot and be perfectly fine afterwards. As time passed, the Sherman’s began to experience more strange events. They reported seeing large animals that looked like sasquatches going into the woods and letting out roars. Sometimes when the Sherman’s and other visitors to the ranch looked up at the sky, they saw lights hovering and large blue spheres flying around in the sky which represented UFO’s (Ross). Some of the animals on the ranch began to die in mysterious and gruesome ways. Dogs on the ranch were found burned and cows were found with their body parts torn apart and core dug out (Ross). When people looked at the dead animals, they realized that a wolf or coyote was not capable of killing and dismembering bodies like this.

The Sherman’s eventually moved out of the ranch and sold it to a wealthy businessman named Robert Bigelow, who was enthused by paranormal activity. Bigelow had a team set up cameras and monitor the ranch to see if anything out of the ordinary was going on. Even with the cameras set up and people there monitoring, the mysterious activities such as the UFO lights in the sky that the Sherman’s reported continued. However, the equipment would malfunction at important times and was even physically damaged and destroyed and no one knows how. Because of this, there was never anything caught on tape. Bigelow sold the ranch to an unknown company and no one is able to go near the ranch. All of the roads are blocked, and the outside of the ranch is secured with cameras and barbed wire fencing.

I would say that there is sufficient evidence to support the Skinwalker Ranch conspiracy theory. Aside from the Sherman family, there have been several eyewitnesses that have come forward to seeing paranormal activity in the area. I am going to take their word because seeing mutilated animals, an animal having no reaction to being shot, and UFO lights in the sky is hard to make up and is enough evidence for me. I would definitely stay far away from this place.

Works Cited

Ross, Patrick. "The Bizarre History Of Skinwalker Ranch." Web. 15 Feb. 2021.

Bayou Corne Sinkhole

 Olivia Doreste 

Professor Hammond 

Mass Media and Society 

10 February 2020

Did Truman Capote write “To Kill A Mockingbird?”

    The book To Kill A Mockingbird has been a desired phenomenon around the world and to this day still goes down as one of the most beloved books of all time. To Kill A Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 40 different languages. This book is so important because it touches so many crucial topics that we still are challenged with today; it explores themes of racial prejudice, social rankings, and sexism. It was published during the time of the Civil War when women didn't have a voice, people who had less money than others were frowned upon and black and white people were treated differently.  Elegidely Harper Lee is the author of To Kill A Mockingbird but there have been many theories that Truman Capote is the author. Evidence proves that Capote very much so could have been the author of To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee just made the final edits. To this day we are not 100% sure but the evidence shows that Capote at least had a big part in this book. 

“About a decade ago, a letter written by Truman Capote to his aunt was discovered. In the letter, dated July 9, 1959—one year before Mockingbird’s publication—Capote tells his aunt he had seen Lee’s book, read it, and enjoyed it very much. There is no reference to any collaboration on the book.” This makes us think maybe Truman really did have a major part in this book and just didn't want any recognition? This was one of the first books to tackle major problems and cracks in society and the justice system. There are so many questions because the time frame of this letter does not add up. Later on “Capote and members of his family appear to have suggested that Capote was very much involved in the writing of Mockingbird. Why would Capote have done this?” I truly believe Capote was involved in this book maybe more than we think but what doesn't make sense is why he wouldn't want any recognition? There also is a very strange fact that after To Kill A Mockingbird it took Harper 65 years to publish her next book. There isn't enough evidence for me to 100% believe that Capote wrote this book but I truly believe he had a big part in this. 

This book broke the media when it was published, everyone was talking about it because someone finally spoke up proved how corrupt our society was. I think we can all agree that society has gotten better.  

works cited:

Tom Leonard In New York For The Daily Mail. “A Dispute over Who Wrote Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird Sequel Re-Emerges.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 6 Feb. 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2942073/Jealousy-lies-troubling-questions-book-inspired-world-Kill-Mockingbird-author-unveils-sequel-55-years-dispute-wrote-novel-emerges.html. 

The Chemtrails Debunked?

 What are the Chemtrails?

Have you ever seen white trails following planes as they soar through the sky? Well, if you answered yes, you have seen what some believe to be "chemtrails". The "Chemtrails" is the conspiracy in which people believe the governments releases chemicals from planes that have loads of affects on people and our Earth. Ever since planes began to take flight there have been questions about the dangerous chemicals they disperse into our atmosphere. This can also be referred to as geoengeneering. People believe they do this for reasons like mind control, reduction of life expectancy, weather control, and much more. 

                                        Photo of what some believe to be "chemtrails"

Is there any evidence of this happening? 

No. There has been no clear evidence of this actually happening. However, like every conspiracy, we may never know the truth. Scientists have come out and debunked the theory saying the trails seen behind planes are a product of water vapor and the powerful turbines. The argument people hold for this evidence is that you only see the white trails sometimes. People believe that the planes begin spraying chemicals at different times during a flight. While it sounds like something that could happen, many have tried and succestfully proved the illegitimacy of the conspiracy. Even after loads of evidence and trials, people will believe what they want and there is no changing that. 

The Disappearance of Johnny Gosch (1969)

 By: Julia Berman

John D. Gosch, born November 12th,1969 in Des Moines, Iowa went missing on September 5th,1982 when delivering on his usual newspaper delivery route. Johnny was only twelve years old when he went missing, and he’s been missing for almost forty years.

                                                

The day of his disappearance, Johnny had asked to complete his paper route on his own, his father always had accompanied him, and of course his father refused to allow little Johnny to go out on his own. So Johnny took things into his own hands, and that was the last time he was ever confirmed to be seen. Johnny supposedly got up at 5:45 in the morning without waking his father like he was supposed to and left by himself. Witnesses, including Johnny’s neighbor Mike, said they had seen Johnny talking to a man in a blue Ford with Nebraska License plates. He was apparently giving the male suspect directions, but at 7:00AM Johnny’s usual customers had called his house saying they had not received their papers. Their dog who had accompanied Johnny, returned to their residence shortly after and they had even found his wagon with the papers still inside, only two blocks from his house. 

Noreen, Johnny's mother, strongly believed that Johnny was not dead but he was being held captive. She even took the extra step to hire private investigators to look into her missing son’s case. She admits that she thinks that he has been taken to be sold in a pedophile prostitution ring. Noreen insists that she was visited by her son when she testified in a trial for a pedophile crime organization in 1999. She says in the middle of the night she came to her apartment in March of 1997 with an unidentifiable male. She claims that her son had feared the male and looked to him for permission to speak. He told her that he would not see her again, in fear of his own safety.

 

There were multiple suspicious connections that had seemed to connect to Johnny’s case, but they were all dead ends. In August 2006, Noreen found photos left by her front door. The pictures showed three boys, one of them resembling John, and all of them were bound and gagged. In one of the pictures, the boy who was thought to be John was wearing sweatpants similar to the pair John had worn when he had gone missing. Other people reported receiving the same photos that Noreen had received via multiple methods, including online and physical photographs. Noreen believed the photos were of Johnny, but the police disagreed. They stated they thought whoever gave the photographs to Noreen may have been playing a cruel prank. Another boy, Eugene Martin had also disappeared from the same area as John in 1984. He was also a newspaper carrier, but it is still unknown if the two are related.

In 1990, the John D. Gosch case had been reopened when a John E. Gosch’s body was found in northern Mexico. The similar names gave the West Des Moines Authorities, as well as Johnny’s family hope for finally finding their son, but it ended up just being an unfortunate coincidence. Not only were their names a coincidence, but there’s even more shocking similarities between the cases. The man found in a drainage ditch in Mexico was born only two weeks before Johnny’s birthday, and only weeks later after this found connection, the Des Moines Police traveled to the south of Mexico to investigate an alleged sighting of Eugene Martin. 

What happened to Johnny has been a huge mystery for decades, and in 2016 a documentary was released on Amazon called Who Took Johnny, exploring every detail of this devastating case. Some crucial information that was included in the film includes how about 10 years after the case went cold, a jailed pedophile makes the astonishing admission that he helped kidnap Johnny Gosch for a network of pedophiles that wanted to sell him, but it wasn’t believed by the authorities. The police seem to have an active disinterest in solving the case, and many say that is the reason that Johnny has never been found. This documentary produces extensive evidence and it is revealed the West Des Moines police department never even investigated any of the evidence given. Interviews with members of the West Des Moines police department are very frustrating in this film. Past officers from the case can barely defend their work when trying to find Johnny and newer officers can barely back them up either, and you can sense their lack of truth when they talk about tracking evidence and following up on the man, Mr. Bonaci who admitted to helping with Johnny’s abduction. FBI officer Mr. Hosko, flat out denies any awareness of the Johnny Gosch case which is extremely infuriating, and practically impossible with how well-known this case is. 

The disappearance of Johnny Gosch is a devastating and heartbreaking case. Watching this documentary and learning about how the case was treated as if it was insignificant is agitating to hear as a viewer and one can only imagine how it felt to be Noreen during the investigation and even to the present day. 

Sources:

https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/kidnappings/johnny-gosch/

https://charleyproject.org/case/john-david-gosch

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-05-mn-1010-story.html

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Took-Johnny-Noreen-Gosch/dp/B01DEC7760/ref=nodl_

The "Illuminati" Conspiracy Theory

The "Illuminati" Conspiracy Theory

By: Natalie Wong

    Many claim that the "Illuminati" is one of the biggest conspiracy theories today. The theory started over 300 years ago and is still discussed today by millions of people. With 3.4 million Facebook likes, numerous mentions in songs, and Youtube channels dedicated to the theory, it is hard to feel like it is not real. 

What Exactly is the "Illuminati?"

    The "Illuminati," also known as Bavarian Illuminati, was a secret society that reigned from 1776 to 1785. The leader of the group, Adam Weishaupt, was a German law professor that promoted ideas about Enlightenment. The group was very secretive and kept their identities private. Illuminati group members did not trust those over the age of 30, because they believed that they were not willing to change their traditional views. They had code names for leaders and had a three-tiered power system that consisted of the political and societal elite. The noblemen with highest societal influence were on the top of the pyramid. 

[Adam Weishaupt and Members of the "Illuminati"]

https://www.history.com/news/secret-societies-freemasons-knights-templar

What Did the "Illuminati" Believe?

    The secret group had very odd rituals and beliefs. Aside from their Enlightenment ideals, they wanted to be self-governed. They believed in liberty, progress, philanthropy, a constitutional government, and separation of church and state. 

What Symbols Were Associated With the "Illuminati?"

    They were closely associated with owls and used the Eye of Providence as a symbol of recognition. It resembles God's watch and compassion over the world. The eye is placed inside a triangle and each point stands for the 3 Holy Trinities (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit).

[The Eye of Providence]

https://www.amazon.com/EW-Designs-Providence-Pyramid-Sticker/dp/B07RQ9TS1S

How Did the "Illuminati" Influence the World?

    The "Illuminati" were closely related to the Freemasons. They were a fraternal group that promoted charity and obedience to the law of the land. It was a very exclusive society that required a sponsor from within the organization in order to join. The Freemasons group included George Washington, James Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Paul Revere who were also our Founding Fathers. The groups would share beliefs with each other. 

What Ended the "Illuminati?"

    In 1787, Karl Theodor, the Duke of Bavaria banned secret societies. Those caught practicing in the societies were punished by death. This led many people to stay away from the "Illuminati" and prevented potential new members from joining. The group slowly vanished and the original members have since passed. 

Is the "Illuminati" Still Present Today?

    There have been rumors that the secret society is still alive today. Books, articles, and videos have been posted regarding the theory. People are skeptical and claim that certain celebrities such as Jay Z, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Lebron James are all members of a present day "Illuminati" group. Theorist claim that the reason why they've grown to become so successful was because they have had help from higher powers in the group. However, the celebrities have all denied those accusations. 

[Beyonce]

https://www.vox.com/2015/5/19/8624675/what-is-illuminati-meaning-conspiracy-beyonce

Debunking the Theory

    The Illuminati is not real. The theory claims that the secret organization is seeking to overthrow the government and dominate. If the group was really that powerful, they would have already been a changes made. In the late 1960s, there was a huge presence of LSD and counter-culture mania. The text Principia Discordia was published that aimed to cause chaos and spread rumors. It started false claims of the "Illuminati" group trying to take over the government and self-reign.  

Bibliography: 

“Illuminati.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/illuminati-group-designation.

“Later Illuminati.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/illuminati-group-designation/Later-illuminati.

Rotondi, Jessica Pearce. “Five Secret Societies That Have Remained Shrouded in Mystery.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 Dec. 2019, www.history.com/news/secret-societies-freemasons-knights-templar.

The Controversy Surrounding HAARP: Debunked

  

The Controversy Surrounding HAARP: Debunked 

By: Taylor Aiello

    It is no secret that any catastrophic event is likely to bring controversy and conspiracy theories. There are many people who believe that there is a deeper meaning or unknown answer for anything ranging from terrorist attacks and assassinations to natural disasters. One research facility in specific has received a unique amount of attention after conspiracy theorists deemed that they were responsible for controlling the weather and people’s minds.  

What is HAARP?  

This scientific facility, HAARP or High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program was built in 1993 in Gakona, Alaska. It began as an ionospheric research program funded by the United States Air Force, the Navy, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (Kleiman). More specifically, HAARP studies an undisclosed part of the upper atmosphere, the ionosphere. According to NASA, “The ionosphere stretches roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth’s surface, right at the edge of space. Along with the neutral upper atmosphere, the ionosphere forms the boundary between Earth’s lower atmosphere – where we live and breathe – and the vacuum of space” (HAARP). The U.S. military was determined to study the ionosphere because this area of the atmosphere plays a role in transmitting radio signals. In order to better understand the physics of the ionosphere, the facility uses a high-power radio frequency transmitter, among other equipment, sending radio beams into the atmosphere and subsequently studying the responses from it (Kleiman). The photograph below depicts a 40-acre grid of towers that is used to conduct research on the ionosphere. 

  

UAF photo by Todd Paris  

Controversy Surrounding HAARP 

Since scientists are looking into unknown and obscure territory, many people have become skeptical about their intentions. In fact, individuals have placed blame on the facility for causing natural disasters and global warming, manipulating human brains, and for being the source of humming noises in the sky. Additionally, the Venezuelan leader Huge Chavez claimed that the 2010 Haitian earthquake was caused by HAARP or a program like it. People have called in death threats to researchers at the facility, in the belief that they are the reason why the average temperature in their state is warmer than usual. Researchers at the facility state it is nothing more than a misunderstanding. In fact, one research assistant professor at UAF, Chris Fallen, stated, “HAARP cannot control the weather, contrary to one conspiracy theory. It has too little power and affects a different part of the atmosphere … Neither can it manipulate our brains, as alleged by another theory. Generally, space physicists focus on regions more than 60 miles above our heads, where HAARP’s radio waves are 100 times weaker than those from mobile phones” (Fournier). Scientific data also showed the 2010 Haitian earthquake was caused by “slippage of previously unmapped fault along the border of the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates” (Kleiman). Furthermore, the sole purpose of the facility is to heat small regions of the ionosphere and observe the effects, and the facility does not keep their goal a secret. In fact, in an interview with VICE news, HAARP scientists openly discussed the purpose of their facility, and stated that no aspect of their program is top secret or classified, in contrary to the beliefs of some individuals. Additionally, there are days where the facility is kept open for open houses and any person can tour and see first-hand the equipment that studies the ionosphere. HAARP, therefore, is not responsible for controlling the weather or the human brain.  

The link to the VICE interview video is below:  

https://www.facebook.com/vicenews/videos/the-truth-behind-this-big-alaskan-conspiracy-theory-vice-news/1145234248969857/  

Conclusion  

Even though HAARP is not a highly debated controversy, it has certainly led to dispute among scientific professionals and the everyday people. However, there is significant scientific data to dispute the previously mentioned controversies. There is a logical explanation for natural disasters, as seen with the 2010 Haitian earthquake. This facility is also not the cause of global warming or manipulation of human brains. Additionally, I believe that if HAARP was involved in something manipulative, they would not be so open to conducting interviews or letting the everyday person walk around the facility during their open houses. The HAARP facility has simply become a target because of its secluded location and endeavor into an unrevealed region of space.  Therefore, the conspiracy theory surrounding HAARP should be debunked.  

Works Cited  

Fournier, Elle. “HAARP Research Attracts Conspiracies, Misunderstandings.” UAF News and Information, 5 June 2017, news.uaf.edu/haarp-research-attracts-conspiracies-misunderstandings/. 

Kleiman, Michael. “Conspiracy Theories Abound as U.S. Military Closes HAARP.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 June 2015, www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/conspiracy-theories-abound-u-s-military-closes-haarp-n112576. 

“Welcome to the New HAARP Website.” HAARP, haarp.gi.alaska.edu/.