What started out as a joke to “see them aliens” in Area 51 turned into reality when over two million people signed a pledge on Facebook to storm the northern Nevada region on Sept. 20.
On June 27, California resident Matty Roberts created a Facebook event titled “Area 51: They Can’t Stop All of Us,” inviting a gathering of strangers to raid the location in the middle of the night in hopes to find aliens. Within weeks, thousands of people signed up to storm the area although Roberts later explained that he was just joking.
However, to those who are planning on attending, I wouldn’t pack your bags just yet–it’s a waste of time.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen countless posts and videos on Instagram, YouTube and other social media sites that advertise raiding Area 51. At this point, it just seems like a trend that most people want to participate in but won’t follow through with by actually attending the raid. Sure, the numerous memes about “bringing home pet aliens” are entertaining and fun to watch, but in reality, it is just another trend to keep people amused.
Alternately, some are planning to stick to their pledge, according to an online article posted Aug. 12 by The Washington Post, and use a “strength-in-numbers approach” to raid the area. However, if that many individuals are planning on going, they should be aware of how “organized” this movement truly is.
As of now, numerous strangers are just going to show up at the location, not knowing who to follow or what to do. All they know is to “Naruto run,” a reference to an anime character Naruto Uzumaki’s famous run with hands behind the back and head forward, when all else fails.
Additionally, people just want to go for the diversion rather than the aliens. With so much chatter about how many youths are going to this raid, it seems like many are treating it like it’s another wild concert. They want to go solely for the ride, the probable music and the experience of engaging with a large crowd. This raid just gives them another opportunity to “enjoy their youth” instead of actually hoping to see the aliens, which is complete bogus.
Yes, various creatures may exist beyond our planet in which humankind has yet to discover. However, what makes those wanting to see aliens think that they’ll find them in Area 51, a classified United States Air Force facility? Now that’s just playing with fire.
Because the area is an off-limits zone, it is subject to respect. People should not let some internet meme persuade them into doing something dangerous. If they want to go alien hunting, then by all means they can go somewhere that is not strictly government enforced, such as in North Las Vegas where the Electronic Dance Music Festival takes place.
Now, to those who truly want to raid the area to find “aliens,” hats off to you for your commitment. Yet, you are still wasting your time.
What happens if nobody finds anything in the end? It might have been a fun experience and all, but this widespread talk of aliens was just gossip. Those who wanted to see the creatures just wasted their time, not discovering anything interesting at all. They might even get in trouble for something so foolish as raiding an air force facility. If there really were aliens on the site and the government was hiding them from us, they would move them anyway since they are aware of this raid threat.
Let’s say something is found–although I doubt it would be aliens. What if the creatures you find, whether aliens or not, eat you alive or torment your bodies? If you actually believe in finding these extraterrestrials, then you must believe in the possible outcomes, right? Despite those who think these aliens might be helpful and should not be hidden from humanity, it’s not a good idea to come in contact with them if people are not completely sure of their condition.
All in all, the Area 51 raid started off as a joke, and it should stay as such. I wouldn’t go to the extreme of putting my life in danger for a slight chance of seeing some aliens.
If you have already packed your bags, have a great time raiding Area 51. I, on the other hand, will be at home, possibly tuning in on CNN to see the fruitless efforts of these raiders of the lost cause.
