Guess what?! Even John Lear was BANNED from ATS back in 2008

Given the recent purge of probably all accounts here on ATS and the relevant questions raised as to why this has happened, who did it, what are their intentions, why now, and how this will impact the future of the platform, I have come across one of the most famous guys in the field of Ufology who has become become famous due to his claims and his friendship with Bob Lazar and other figures who were interested in the UFO Phenomenon and Alien Life, or reverse engineering and Alien Technology.

His name was John Lear and his story can be found here in this very good article:

benlovegrove.com...

The Incredible Life and Claims of Late Aviator John Lear

John Lear was a famous American aviator known for his fascinating life story and controversial claims regarding UFOs and alien life. As the son of William Lear, the inventor of the Learjet, aviation ran in his blood. But John carved out his own place in aviation history with his record-breaking flights and service as a CIA pilot.

Later in life, his claims about top secret government knowledge of alien life made him a prominent figure in UFO circles. This post will explore John Lear’s aviation career, family ties, friendships, and incredible assertions that captivated UFO enthusiasts for decades, before his death on March 29, 2022 at age 79.

In the late 1980s, John Lear formed a close friendship with a man named Bob Lazar. Lazar claimed to have worked at the top-secret Area 51 base in Nevada and seen evidence of alien technology and even extraterrestrials.

Lazar shared his incredible story with John, who had already cultivated an intense interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial life. John came to fully believe Lazar’s claims and staunchly defended him over the decades until his passing.

John’s friendship with Lazar put him in contact with UFO circles and fueled his emerging public persona as an outspoken believer in government cover-ups of alien contact.

What probably most people don't know is that John Lear was an ATS member and someone who naturally would have attracted a lot of attention, threads, and new memberships. And of course... John Lear was BANNED from ATS sometime in 2008!!!

Here is the story:

www.thelivingmoon.com...

So it's not only the current ATS members and moderators who were banned recently, as a whole group. Everyone and I mean everyone and anyone can get banned around here with or without valid reasons.

This is a thread about John Lear but I would like to make the connection given the recent events here on ATS.

Yeah. I liked is earlier work. As the Feds cracker down got a bit hazy. Like Lazar.

I'm pretty sure that John Lear is a disinformation personality, and one of the most renown.

I don't know though, I could be wrong, I just find it suspicious that someone would blame missing persons on a deal the gov made with ET.

a reply to: Indie1A

Once the feds stepped in he got told to muddy the waters. it did go bad. As for the start, consistent with the situation.

originally posted by: kwaka
a reply to: Indie1A

Once the feds stepped in he got told to muddy the waters. it did go bad. As for the start, consistent with the situation.

Did the feds step in? And for what reason?

a reply to: Leviathan4

What I recall about his being banned here, was that he insisted on pushing the 'holograph theory' in regard to 9-11. I was not part of staff until two years later, however I recall seeing and talking with Mr. Lear during that time in regard to the 9/11 threads. Former ATS member Weedwhacker was quite prominent then, and I remember him because he was an airline pilot, which brought a certain veracity to his skepticism.

It is my OPINION that the original ATS owners thought it a great insult to the people of New York City the views that Mr. Lear kept relentlessly pushing. It was an insult to those who breathed the poisoned air, who watched their iconic buildings fall, who knew firefighters and other emergency response personnel, who personally witnessed the planes hit.......... it was an insult that Mr. Lear insisted that the planes were holographs, and no actual strike happened. Again, this is my informed opinion. One of the original founding owners was IN NYC at the time. It was horrific. 3000 people died immediately, and many, many others later as a result of the consequences of the attack.

Regardless of who orchestrated the attack (insider, outsider) or how the buildings came down, or what hit the Pentagon, or what crashed in Shanksville and why, it was a FACT that planes hit the twin towers, and Lear's refusal to honor those lives lost eventually lead to his leaving ATS.

Now here is another thing. I am not certain he was banned. I am only certain that he left. That is all.

originally posted by: Leviathan4

originally posted by: kwaka
a reply to: Indie1A

Once the feds stepped in he got told to muddy the waters. it did go bad. As for the start, consistent with the situation.

Did the feds step in? And for what reason?

They could have easily been involved from the start.

If I remember correctly, I had just joined ATS with my first account here. We were asked to "chill" on the subject of 9-11 out of respect, and nothing to do with anything nefarious or conspiracy wise.
ETA : I am not sure that John was "banned" .

a reply to: argentussy

Thanks for the insight.

That sounds like something someone involved with spreading disinformation would do.

a reply to: Leviathan4
Nope.
Still registered as a member :

www.abovetopsecret.com...

2nd post.Click the name for profile.

a reply to: Indie1A

I didn't ever get the sense that Mr. Lear was "tasked" with spreading disinfo; more that he was furthering his own "brand" and that was one of the core principles. Hate to keep harping on it, but I want to stress that this was and is my opinion, and not information gleaned by being a part of staff.

a reply to: Leviathan4

It doesn't appear that John Lear was ever banned from ATS. Plus, his AboveTopSecret Information thread is also INTACT

in 2007, he was still posting, and again in 2008

a reply to: IsAnyoneThere

We were asked to "chill" on the subject of 9-11 out of respect

I got that as well. If you where unjustly killed is that respect?

Trying to resolve 9/11

ATS has been one of the few sites that kept this issue on the table. They did ban it for a bit, was not there at the time but understand the passion.

a reply to: sookiechachazback

He was Banned, lota ra ra there.

a reply to: kwaka

Maybe, but the profile I linked says otherwise. I joined in 2009, the first time, and don't remember him posting at that time.

Bob Lazar was though, I think.

originally posted by: sookiechachazback
a reply to: Leviathan4

It doesn't appear that John Lear was ever banned from ATS. Plus, his AboveTopSecret Information Account is also INTACT

in 2007, he was still posting, and again in 2008

Take a look at this letter written by himself back in 2008

www.thelivingmoon.com...

I have already linked it above but I didn't want to give the specifics of the story as it involved details of who banned him. It was a post ban as it seems and not a permanent ban. Although there are no permanent bans on this site. You can immediately make another account and keep going. But John Lear didn't want to continue for whatever reasons he had. Even a post ban may seem a lot for people who don't break rules.

Here is an extract from the link

All I know is that Skeptic Overlord post banned me, then hammered me for lying on the morning of January 28 without asking my side of the story first. And when he found out it was someone else who lied, I got banned, the other guy is currently posting, and there was no apology from SO or anyone else at ATS.

Skeptic Overlord has said, "His account posting privileges we restored as soon as everyone promised to play nice with each other."

First, I never made that promise because I never was untruthful in the first place. And second, under no circumstances was I going to go along with a cover-up about events hidden from the general membership of ATS. And third my posting privileges were not restored until the following Sunday and then only until I made my first post.

Once upon a time it was rumoured that even some other of his friends were posting on ATS. But I can't verify this and can't find any links to it.

originally posted by: argentussy
a reply to: Indie1A

I didn't ever get the sense that Mr. Lear was "tasked" with spreading disinfo; more that he was furthering his own "brand" and that was one of the core principles. Hate to keep harping on it, but I want to stress that this was and is my opinion, and not information gleaned by being a part of staff.

What type of disinformation and why do you think this happened? If you try to spread wild theories that have no basis in anything then nobody will believe you. It has to be believable first.

a reply to: sookiechachazback

I joined in 2009

It was done and dusted by then, goes back to earlier days on this site.

a reply to: kwaka

was not there at the time

I was. And it got totally out of control.