Questions Answered
In this post, I asked a question about polygraph tests. Noble Eagle and Kathy both had much of interest to say in the comments.For my part, I don't know what I would do. If I were innocent, I'd like to think I'd take the test. The problem is I suffer from white-coat-syndrome. All I have to do is enter a dentist's or doctor's office for my blood pressure to rise. I just get nervous. I know that I'm not going to come to harm...but too many times I've been treated with secrecy by medical professionals about my own condition. I think that has added to my syndrome. I have no doubt whatsoever that if faced with a test that could conceivably put me in a legal jam, I would exhibit similar symptoms. Sweating, heart racing, just by virtue of the need to take the test. I doubt I could pass a question regarding my true name and sex!
But one thing is certain, they only ask you to take the test if you are already suspicious - a suspect, even if not formally identified - in their eyes. Great. More to be nervous about.
To the other issue, the one of trusting the cops, I am equally torn. I know a cop. I grew up with him. And there are few people I would trust the way I trust him and his brother. But, I've also been harassed by a police officer for the great sin of being the only car on the road at 10 pm at night in Gibson City, IL. That jackass had no probable cause, nothing to go on, other than the fact that I had driven to Gibson City from Champaign to visit the Rock-n-Roll McDonald's (that had already closed when we arrived.) He detained us for nearly an hour on a dark street, never identified himself or whether he was city, county, or state trooper. He asked to search the vehicle for "drugs, weapons, contraband of any sort." I went to Gibson City for a Coca-Cola, not Cocaine. I'm a good girl. I don't even know what marijuana smells like, for criminey's sake! He finally, grudgingly, let us go.
But when I told my Dad about it, about Oprah's show on predators masquerading as police officers, he got pissed! He called the city cops, the county cops, and the state troopers. None of them claimed to have pulled me over that night and run my plates. So, my dad called the local district attorney to inform them of the fact that there was a predator of some sort pretending to be a cop on their roads. The DA said he would get back to my dad. And, when he did, it turned out that I really had been stopped by a real cop. Of course, my dad only got angrier. Why then, had none of the authorities admitted to pulling me over? Is it because they suspected we had grounds to file a complaint? This suspicion is only supported by the fact that the DA refused to identify the officer or the department responsible. Ah HA!
I don't trust most cops. You have to earn my trust. I don't know what I would have done. I'm glad to say that in this case, John Mason will no longer be a suspect.
