Fact vs. fiction

Do you have a favorite conspiracy theory? We can never know where or how these little gems of urban legend get started. But once a story catches on, it creeps into our collective brains like an unwelcome guest, casting doubts on our most trusted thoughts.

For instance, everyone knows that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Right? It was a stunning moment in history to view their amazing footsteps on July 20, 1969. What American didn’t take pride in watching these two brave men salute our flag on the moon?

Now the naysayers claim the whole thing was staged somewhere in the New Mexico desert. NASA can’t seem to find the original photos (they have been misplaced in storage), and the space agency is “not cooperating” with any “conspiracy moon shot denials.” End of story? Not exactly. There are documentaries, videos, books and Web sites that claim the lunar landing was complete fiction, fabricated during the Cold War to scare our enemies.

Some people say that as the world of scientific information advances, it is natural for intelligent people to question the past. Evidently, none of the “old facts” can stand without our constant scrutiny and investigation. We believed in the moon walk because we saw it on television. As Americans, we could not comprehend that our country would play a hoax on us. It would be too pathological to consider, too cruel, bizarre and diabolical that Apollo 11 was nothing more than a staged show.

It tests our faith, perhaps, to hold onto a collection of facts that are being challenged daily. Like the conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, it is simply too unsettling to give these goofy stories much time. Yet, ask any American if Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing President Kennedy and you’ll probably get a swift, “Hell, no.” Hmm, sometimes we don’t believe in the facts of a situation.

Did you hear about the tourist that dug up a little barrel cactus in the desert (illegal to do) and took it back home to Michigan? One day, the potted cactus started shaking and the curious tourist called a nursery in Arizona. He was told to “run out of your house and call an exterminator–it’s about to blow!” Yes, the little cactus was trembling because a black widow was giving birth inside of it and the cactus was about to open up to allow about a hundred little spiders to escape. Is this true? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean the story isn’t repeated over and over to gullible tourists.

Oh, did I mention that in 1953 an alien spacecraft crashed in rural Nevada? A few aliens escaped (most were taken to Area 51–the secret government base) and evidently made their way to Las Vegas, changed to human form, gambled, won, and took their fortunes to Hollywood. There is a theory that every movie star today is a descendant of an alien.

Far‑fetched? Perhaps, but it could explain the wacky behavior of celebrities.

Moon walk? You bet. Spiders jumping out of a cactus? Never. Lee Harvey Oswald a lone shooter? What are you smoking? Aliens in Hollywood? Of course!

Looking for the facts in life? Good luck. But check out the Internet for “conspiracy theories.” On the other hand, if you enjoy a good night’s sleep, believe everything that you’ve ever been told. Some of it is probably true.