When You Think About It: The Alien Invasion

F LoBuono

It's summer and that means beaches, barbecues, and blockbuster movies. One of the first of this years crop is the sequel to the enormously successful Independence Day film called Independence Day - Resurgence (whatever that means). I did not see the first film and have no plans to see the second. It's simply not my kind of movie and, besides, in the coming attractions for the latest version, the special effects looked kind of "cheezy" to me.

Be that as it may, the plot of the two films intrigued me - In the first, alien invaders, bent on conquering earth and making it their own, have begun their attack. It's up to brave men and women to do everything within their power to halt the invasion and save the earth. With great sacrifice, they manage to do so. But, there was always a feeling that the aliens were not finished and might return. Now, you have the plot for the sequel. THEY'RE BACK. And, we have to vanquish them all over again!

It has always been interesting to me to think that we may not be alone. The universe is SO vast, it is reasonable to assume that there is other intelligent life "out there". Most scientists agree. The chances of other civilizations existing beyond our solar system is almost a certainty. The very thought of this has fueled countless discussions, spawned thousands of novels, and created an entire genre' of films, like these two.

It is not an impossible scenario: another powerful, great race of alien beings, bent on conquest, could be lurking out there, waiting for the chance to strike. How terrifying!

Then it hit me. It HAS already happened on Earth!!!

It's called the GENOCIDE OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN.

Think about it. You had an entire race of people living in relative isolation and with a life style almost perfectly suited to their environment when, suddenly, the appearance of strange crafts on their shores altered their lives forever. To the Native Americans, Europeans, with their strange ways, language, gadgets, smells, clothing, and advanced technology might as well have been from outer space! And, these Europeans, much like the alien invaders of movie mythology, were bent on conquest. They were every bit as vicious and ruthless as the monsters so aptly depicted in films. But, unfortunately, unlike the movies, for the Native Americans there was no Will Smith or Jeff Goldblum to save the say. Their way of life was wiped out in favor of another so-called advanced culture. And, adding insult to injury, the Europeans, like the ruthless aliens, felt that they had the right to do so.

So, when someone asks you if you think that aliens might be "out there" plotting to destroy our way of life, you tell them it's already happened. . .