For Some Public Officials, Conspiracy Theories Never End
Spokesmen for public agencies are accustomed to difficult people, but a conspiracy theory zealot pushed Steve Snyder鈥檚 patience to the limit when he was a spokesman at Denver International Airport (DIA). Perhaps Snyder was weary of responding to rumors that DIA鈥檚 six runways form a swastika, or that there was an underground chamber built to hold a concentration camp, when he received an E-mail in 2003 from Greg Ericson of the 鈥淔ree Press International鈥� website.
Ericson asked Snyder if there were any underground facilities at DIA. He wanted to know why there was a picture of a military man killing a white dove there. He asked about a freemason symbol at DIA and the words 鈥淣ew World鈥� on the capstone. He demanded translations of writings on the floors of the airport.聽
Snyder鈥檚 reply was curt and to the point. 鈥淭hese questions have been asked ad nauseum by groups like yours throughout the nine-year history of this airport,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淸Y]ou can select whatever explanation you choose to believe.鈥�
Then he tried, one more time, to explain. The 鈥淣ew World鈥� designation was simply an outgrowth of the New World Airport Commission, a group of leaders who held several pre-opening events at the new airport. 鈥淭he airport was to usher in a new era making Denver a world-class city, thus the New World name.鈥� And the airport鈥檚 underground facilities were simply baggage tunnels used daily by hundreds of airline workers to take luggage to and from the terminal, Snyder said.
鈥淭here were cameras and reporters here documenting every single inch of dirt ever moved,鈥� Snyder told his interrogator. 鈥淚f something strange was going on out here, hundreds of media outlets would have been all over it by now. I鈥檓 surprised it took you nine years to send this email.鈥�
