Art Bell and Area 51
Late at night, some years ago, I was driving and twirling the radio dial. A voice caught my ear...Art Bell. I was fascinated. He was broadcasting from a 'secret' location.
Art Bell Radio Station
Picture Credit: Satori Son at English Wikipedia CC 3.0
One of the locations from which Bell transmitted. He also moved for a time to the Philippines, and transmitted from there.
Bell ran a call-in show. The topic of conversation was mostly about extra-terrestrials, but also about anything that struck a caller's fancy. The conversations were inclined to conspiracies and to information that was out of the mainstream.
It is likely not a coincidence that Bell set up residence in Pahrump, Nevada--just about a hundred miles from Area 51. If you'd like to drive to Area 51, take the Extraterrestrial Highway north from Crystal Springs.
Picture credit: Flakedawg, public domain.
Area 51
The official government name for Area 51 is Nevada Test and Training Range. Since the 1950s, the range has gained a reputation for harboring aliens, and has also been a magnet for various conspiracy ideas.
Picture credit: X51. CC 3.0
This sign is posted outside Area 51. Warnings such as this threaten severe penalties for trespass. The penalties include use of "deadly force". The extreme secrecy surrounding Area 51 only serves to fuel suspicions about government activities.
Individualism and Suspicion of Government
In 1958 historian Ray Billington wrote that the national personality of the United States was shaped by the presence of a frontier: "What little government was necessary was provided by simple associations of settlers; each man looked after his family...social hierarchies disintegrated".
Suspicion of government in the country arose not only from the history of an enduring frontier, though. The very origins of the United States are rooted in rebellion. Throwing off government (England) gave rise to a new nation. In early years--when the new political, social and geographic entity was struggling to be a nation--states resisted giving up their autonomy. They had to be coaxed into joining in the formation of one, united country: the United States.
The Whiskey Rebellion
Picture credit: artist believed to be Frederick Kemmelmeyer, 1795. Public domain.
This picture shows George Washington on his way to suppress an armed uprising in 1794 (the Whiskey Rebellion). The people of Pennsylvania--at least some of them--were denying, and rebelling against, the government's authority to impose taxes. This uprising was one of the first and most serious challenges to the fledgling United States government.
An independent streak, and a suspicion of government, is in the DNA of the country. So when the government seals off a bit of territory, makes it highly secret and tells people they are not allowed--this arouses suspicion.
Are There Aliens at Area 51?
I don't know. Probably not. But anything is possible. Maybe just bits of a crashed flying saucer :) Government reassurances about what is going on at Area 51 certainly don't mean much to most of us. We are a skeptical people. Distrust of government is in our DNA.
My Collage for Round #47 of #LMAC
I started with @shaka's amazing picture:
As soon as I saw the clouds, I thought of marshmallows! The Stay Puft monster from Ghostbusters came to mind. But that monster belongs to them. What I needed was one perfect marshmallow:
in order to make my Marshmallow Creature:
Then I had to find people who were pointing, and who were amazed:
Credits, from left to right:
Men pointing: Pixabay, Child: Pixabay, Woman: Pixabay, Man with a briefcase: Pixabay
Flying saucers for the GIF: Pixabay 
Panicked humans send helicopters to defend against the alien (Paint 3D). 
However, gentle Marshmallow Creature is not a menace. "Greetings" is this alien's benign sign of peace.
GIMP, Paint, and Paint 3D were used to put everything together.
This is the 47th edition of @shaka's Lets Make a Collage Contest, #LMAC. Participation is great fun. Nobody loses. I hope some readers of this blog are tempted to join in. And, please check out the other remarkable collages at @shaka's blog.
As always, thank you @shaka for doing the work that makes this contest successful.
Hive on!