After much pondering I have decided that revealing the facts is more important than any punitive retribution that might occur.

With the recent release of the major motion picture Signs, the crop circle phenomenon that has lingered at the fringes of the mainstream medias conscience for the past several decades was finally given the attention it deserves.

Although sensationalized for the purpose of separating the Wal-Mart/Starbucks crowd from their money, the basic facts portrayed in the film paint a reasonably accurate picture of some of the things going on in the world today.

Occasionally the mainstream media will report the appearance of crop circles or other unusual phenomena when the general population demands the truth be told. And even when these stories do make it to press they are relegated to a status equal to reports on civil war reenactments or pawnshop burglaries. For the most part these events are swept under the proverbial rug. I am sure others in the Columbia area may have noticed some of the same sightings that I have over the past week or so.

Fear is surely the reason no one is talking. Without warning the circles materialize in highly visible areas of both large and small fields. The fields I have noticed do not appear to be disturbed by machinery or any other man-made contraption. These figures I have seen do not manifest themselves in the form of damaged vegetation though. They appear to be groups of large mushrooms positioned to form perfect circles.

I have not ventured out amongst them to fully inspect the authenticity of this fungal replication because I am sure that whatever brought them to these strategic locations would not want them disturbed. Individually these tiny soldiers would go unnoticed, but the symmetry of their formation gives them away. In their tiny white helmets they stand ever vigilant enduring the elements apparently awaiting instruction, for they vanish as quickly as they appear. Where they come from and to where they disappear is a mystery that may not be solved until enough people demand to know the truth.

If the government or aliens are involved we must stand up for our rights. We must ask the difficult questions and not be afraid of getting the answers.

The truth is out there. We just have to recognize the signs.

This writer can be reached at oldblue1979@columbiamagazine.com