I sometimes think that maybe I shouldn't be doing this. Commenting on all of this 9/11 Truth Movement stuff, that is. As I was putting the finishing touches on my review for Dylan Avery's documentary, Loose Change 2nd Edition, last week, I had to stop and wonder...is this really something that I want to put my name on?

In the closing lines of that review, I wrote: "I applaud Avery and crew for having the courage to put their necks on the line to make this film and get this info out to the public." Indeed, what those filmmakers did--exposing themselves to almost certain ridicule and personal attacks--definitely took an enormous amount of courage. I'm nowhere near cynical enough to think that they made such a film for publicity-seeking or otherwise egotistical reasons alone, so, love or hate the final product, these guys chose to stand for something that they believe in--and I think that, at the very least, is something worth honoring.

But that said, I'm not sure that I have the guts to follow suit.

So called conspiracy theorists have never enjoyed a favorable standing in society. The stereotype brings to mind visions of lonely, disturbed individuals with tinfoil hats typing away at some musing in a dank basement. Actually, that setup doesn't sound all that different from what I do here each week with the K-Files...but all the same, I think the new breed of post 9/11 conspiracy theorists are starting to break the mold of what that title really means. They're no longer some niche group forever doomed to work in the shadows of underground newsletters and sling mud at Big Brother when the opportunity presents itself. In fact, depending on what poll you want to look at, some statistics show that it is the majority of Americans that do not believe the official government story on 9/11. This of course being a diverse majority with all manner of credible citizenry. Unfortunately, the popular media in America seems hell-bent on preserving the image of old and not only dismissing any alternative theories outright, but, more dangerously, attacking the theorists themselves for even having the nerve to think such things.

That's when I start to get nervous.

Granted, I write this weekly column under a pen name. But still, if anyone felt the desire to track down my real name, the process wouldn't be all that difficult. Therefore, I'm more or less stuck with my writing past. This doesn't quite bother me, as I stand by and am proud of my work so far, but with the way the heat is being turned up on conspiratorial dissenters, I'm beginning to see visions of this coming back to haunt me somewhere in the future. That perhaps it could even destroy my future careers or endeavors.

As a for instance, the current poll at FOXNews commentator Bill O'Reilly's website, billoreilly.com, asks whether or not we think that Charlie Sheen (who has emerged as one of celebrity leaders of the 9/11 Truth Movement) will damage his career by narrating the 3rd edition of Loose Change. Moreover, outspoken The View commentator Rosie O'Donnell has been receiving a strong amount of flak for voicing her belief that 9/11 was an inside job. It has gotten to the point now that many are calling on ABC to fire O'Donnell because of it.

So in that regard, hell yes I'm nervous. Nervous that one day I might get blacklisted or shunned for having an unpopular opinion. But then, there is still at least one bastion of hope out there preserving the right to say whatever kooky thing you want--an institution that, as of yet, has been relatively untouched by the mainstream media. I am of course speaking of George Noory's weekly Coast to Coast AM radio broadcast. Reaching millions of listeners nightly, George has--unwittingly or not--created a sort of haven for out-there theorists the likes of Alex Jones or Peter Lance to present their arguments without being shot down or labeled unjustly. That's not to say that their theories aren't challenged, but I think Mr. Noory is doing a fine service to his audience by giving his guests, many of whom would be turned down by mainstream outlets, the chance to be heard and debated with respect.

I think it's going to be real interesting in the coming months to see where this conspiracy debate goes. If Loose Change does in fact get a wide-released 3rd edition voiced by Charlie Sheen, I think that the level of heat will certainly be raised. Of how far it will all go, I can't be certain, but I shudder to imagine a world in which the mainstream media stops ignoring the nightly force that is Coast to Coast AM and starts to bring down the hate on the program for giving conspiracy theorists a fair shake.

Is George Noory ready for such a scenario? Is the Coast to Coast audience? Time shall tell. But I think the real question here is if the mainstream is ready for Coast to Coast.