Harlot wrote:

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I dont know what the ramifications would be (actions taken against me) if my position on polygraphs were disclosed by any letters I might happen to write.  I believe there are lots of individuals out there traped in the same situation as I.  I also believe this is a big reason why there are not more people coming forward with testimonials and not sending letters.  Can I send out a letter and still protect my anonymity?

I suspect that many employees and applicants for jobs with federal agencies who are wrongly accused of deception in polygraph screening "tests" fear retaliation if they publicly oppose polygraph policy. And I think those fears are not entirely unjustified.

But I doubt that members of Congress and senior government officials will be prompted to take action based on anonymous letters received. If at all possible, it would be better to write to them with one's real name and address and to follow up with a phone call. If you write a letter to the editor of a newspaper, you can ask that your name be withheld if your letter is published. The technique TwoBlock mentioned (using an assumed name and a trusted friend's address) would at least allow you to receive a response, but if you were to send letters in that way, the recipient might be skeptical.

In your earlier message, you wrote:

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I believe one of the ways to debunk this charade is to attack the polygraph industry not only through official means but also where the polygraph industries strength lies...in the arena of American popular culture.

I agree with you. So does David T. Lykken, America's most prominent polygraph critic. At page 278 of A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector he writes:

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...it seems apparent that the truth technology [i.e., lie detector "testing"] must be regarded as a growing menace in American life, a trend to be resisted and, it may be hoped, beaten by measures more dependable and lasting than secreting a tack in one's sock. The 1988 Employee Polygraph Protection Act was an important step in the right direction. Extending that act to cover federal, state, and local government employees should be the next step. I believe, however, that the only safe solution, the only way to truly beat the lie detector, is to demythologize it. If lawyers, employers, judges, legislators, and government bureaucrats knew what you know now about the lie test, then the menace would be manageable. The first purpose of this book is to contribute to that end.

Mr. Scalabrini and I also wrote The Lie Behind the Lie Detector and distribute it gratis via this website to contribute to that end.

One way that polygraph victims can help debunk the polygraph charade without incurring retaliation is to anonymously post and discuss their experiences here on the AntiPolygraph.org site. The Internet has become a productive research tool, and any journalist, lawyer, legislator, or government employee researching polygraphy is likely to find this website.

Those who face polygraph "testing" will increasingly be finding this website, too. The day is coming when so many of those subject to polygraph "testing" will understand "the lie behind the lie detector" that the charade can no longer continue. Everyone can help hasten that day by telling friends, relatives, acquaintances, or colleagues about this site.


Last modification: George Maschke - 01/16/01 at 07:08:33