BYU and Polygraph Machines

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_Mister Scratch
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BYU and Polygraph Machines

Post by _Mister Scratch »

A flurry of somewhat recent discussions involving the SCMC, and all the attendant accusations of paranoia have got me thinking. And not just me: a poster called "Kolob" has put this up over on the ironically named FAIRboard:

April 15,1983 - University Post: The Unofficial Newspaper of Brigham Young University reports interview with director of Standards Department. He acknowledges that students suspected of cheating, illegal drug use, stealing, or homosexuality are expelled from BYU if they refuse to take polygraph examination. BYU Security has licensed polygraph examiner. Is this true? Comments contributions welcome.
(Kolob does not list a source, though I am almost certain that this is from the "Selected Chronology" of Quinn's The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power)

What's odd is how many of the FAIRites seem so eager to dismiss this, and to question the authenticity of the information. Even Calmoriah cries out for a source. A bit further along in the thread, the material gets a second confirmation, from a poster called RedSoxin04:

RedSoxin04 wrote:I haven't heard of polygraph tests being done to expell students while I was there, so I can't verify that, but if you regularly watch the Police Beat in the Daily Universe (BYU's newspaper), when someone is caught shoplifting in the BYU Bookstore, and the person claims it is an honest mistake, they administer some sort of a lie detector test.


Of course, a lie detector at BYU, in addition to the Orwellian SCMC, Church Security, espionage teams at BYU, filters at BYU-I---it gets one thinking as to just who, exactly, is paranoid. Likewise, stories told in church about Satan having dominion over the waters, and various other superstitions---all of these things add up to a general culture of paranoia and fear, it seems to me. None of this is helped by the fact that the automatic, knee-jerk reaction to any mention of this subject is an immediate accusation of "paraniod insanity," and "conspiracy theory." My big question is: Why is it so difficult for TBMs to honestly examine these things? They seem unwilling to justify these "spying" tactics, as it were, and yet appear to have a problem with them, too.
_Who Knows
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Post by _Who Knows »

But they don't need a lie detector - they've already got one - it's called the HG.

Right?
_Pokatator
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Post by _Pokatator »

Who Knows wrote:But they don't need a lie detector - they've already got one - it's called the HG.

Right?


Or discernment.
_moksha
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Post by _moksha »

I remember reading in the SL Tribune some years back that BYU got in trouble for using electronic surveillance in student dorms without a warrant. Their excuse? -- perhaps you can guess -- was that because they were private they could do as they pleased. They found out in no uncertain terms that they couldn't do this.

Hopefully President Bush has called upon the services of the Special Ops Unit of BYU Security to help interrogate the Islamic prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. They are experienced.
Cry Heaven and let loose the Penguins of Peace
_harmony
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Post by _harmony »

moksha wrote:I remember reading in the SL Tribune some years back that BYU got in trouble for using electronic surveillance in student dorms without a warrant. Their excuse? -- perhaps you can guess -- was that because they were private they could do as they pleased. They found out in no uncertain terms that they couldn't do this.

Hopefully President Bush has called upon the services of the Special Ops Unit of BYU Security to help interrogate the Islamic prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. They are experienced.


I wonder why Pres Bush hasn't sent them to find bin Laden?
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