With the November elections now coming to a close, the country faces a new future just as it does every two years, but one casualty in the legislative circuit making national news was actually a matter of citywide interest. The news came amid both cries of disapproval and approval in the UFO community as Denver’s Initiative 300 failed to pass.
The legislation failed to pass despite the fact that several unidentified flying objects spotted above Denver on November second raised interest in the subject. And now proponents and opponents to the legislative measure are still battling out whether or not a future Initiative should be proposed in the future mirroring 300.
Among the points in support of the measure are that it wouldn’t cost tax payers a penny, and that the system would largely work off of grants and private organizations. Among the opponents is the image of Denver Colorado, which many suggest would be at stake if such a local legislation were passed. But how dangerous is 300 to the community? And is it possible for the community to create an organization in an official government capacity that satisfies all those involved? At last count, the bill was voted with 106,776 against and 20,162 for Initiative 300 passing. Even though it’s slim pickings for those advocating UFO study in the Denver community it should be noted that the minority pulled up over 18% of the total voting populace. An interesting thing to note was that this was up eight percent from two days prior when an unofficial poll was taken in the city to judge the interest in Denver residents over the creation of the commission.
There has been some speculation that the appearance of strange anomalous craft in the vicinity of the city mere hours before the initiative was voted on suggests that perhaps overeager advocates were out releasing balloons or other hoax aircraft in order to generate buzz over the initiative. These claims, however, have not been validated as no hoax materials have been unearthed. Others have suggested that their appearance directly represented a very real interest visiting extraterrestrials may have had over the vote and the process happening on Earth below.
Jeff Peckman, the strongest advocate for Initiative 300 has not been defeated, however. In an interview with local news outlet the Denver Daily News, we will be hearing from him again. And come the future, there will be more votes on 300-esque initiatives both in Denver and around the world. Already advocates in New York are proposing a similar system in their next election.
We brought you coverage of the 300 story first a few weeks back and why a more localized UFO investigation commission would make information about these groups more accessible by private citizens, but there’s still a very real question about whether or not a local government agency would be able to sufficiently cover UFO encounters itself. And with MUFON already in place, do we need such a group? The voters have spoken this time, but will opinions change the next time an opportunity such as this comes around?