I’ll admit it, I’m a fan of the show “The X-Files”.

For those who may not be familiar with the show, it’s a weekly series appearing on Fox depicting two FBIagents in search of the truth.

And in more cases than not, the truth can be hard to find. On some occasions, the truth even eludes those who are searching for it.

From Area 51, to the grassy knoll; the Bermuda Triangle to Watergate, the world is enshrouded with cover-ups, scandals and secret sources. Even the more recent plane crash of TWA Flight 800 has been called a scandal or government cover-up.

Some say a bomb caused the plane to crash. Some say it was shot down by a U.S.missile. Many say the government can’t be trusted to tell the truth about the matter — no matter the cause.

A spokesman for the government recently made an appearance on Headline News pleading with the public to believe that the government would never hide anything from the public, that more than 200 people died from this crash and that he was doing everything in his power to find the truth.

A key line from “The X-Files” is, “The truth is out there.”

I’m sure it is. But who is going to find it? The government has more power and more resources from which to draw than any individual or organization, and it claims it knows what caused to plane to plummet into the Atlantic Ocean killing all on board.

If they’re telling the truth, how would we know? Should we trust the government on this matter implicitly or bow down to stereotypical fears or paranoia that go with the territory?

I would wager that, like the Kennedy assassination, the world may never know.

It’s so easy to blame an ambiguous organization for our problems, fears and unanswered questions. An entity such as the U.S.government has so many facets, ambiguity comes as second nature.

It’s very possible the government with the help of the mafia killed Kennedy on that sunny day in November, 1963. I’m eager to subscribe to such an opinion because it creates stories. It keeps life interesting.

The same lack of trust is seen here on campus. Students don’t trust the administration. GSBdoesn’t trust the students. The administration doesn’t trust GSB. Whatever the case, real or not, there is a lack of trust among those in the Iowa State environment.

How can this be a productive relationship? The relationship between two individuals is usually founded on trusting each other. The relationship would not last long if it weren’t.

How can one expect the relationship between students and the administration to last long when there is no trust between them?

How can one expect the relationship of the public and the government to last if neither party trusts the other?

Perhaps one key event that needs to happen is to tell the truth. The truth should be told no matter whom it hurts or how much it hurts. If not, the relationship will dissolve itself and everyone will be worse for wear.

It’s easy to see the government having an ulterior motive when it comes to our protection. But I find it difficult when the logic is that we need to be protected from the truth.

The thing is, I doubt the government will ever lose the negative image it carries with it, no matter who’s involved.

However, there is still hope with Iowa State’s students, faculty and staff. The relationship can be salvaged and positive changes made both in and outside of the system.

Someday, a diver may come to the surface of the Atlantic with a piece of a missile that sent all of those people to their deaths. An engineer may also figure out the cause of the crash was a system failure that could not have been avoided.

Someone may find Kennedy’s brain (which was lost shortly after his assassination) and extinguish the eternal flame.

Aliens may land on my front lawn and tell me they built the pyramids.

AIDScould be a cruel irony created by Mother Nature or a creation by those in power to control the population.

Whatever the case, the answers are out there. And I hope someone will find them.

In the mean time, I’ll continue to watch shows like “The X-Files” imagining Oliver Stone is right about Kennedy and that aliens do walk among us. It may be trite or far-fetched, but the imagination needs something on which to live.

And until someone proves to me differently, I’ll continue to believe the truth is out there. I want to believe.

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John Mullen is a senior in liberal studies from Waterloo. He is opinion editor of the Daily.