Against the tide
Local psychologist scrutinized for Christian affiliations
Posted by: Rhonda Robinson
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 12:00 AM
Michael Campion, a highly respected Champaign psychologist, has been temporarily suspended from screening potential police officers for the Minneapolis Police Department, while his Christian Conservative "beliefs" are investigated.At issue is Campion's past affiliation with the Illinois Family Institute, an affiliate of Focus on the Family.
The organization became a lighting rod for gay activist hysteria and mud slinging when the group launched a grass-roots petition drive attempting to place a non-binding referendum on traditional marriage on the November ballot.
The Star Tribune's liberal spin in reporting the issue, paints the Conservative group as anti-civil rights for homosexuals; rhetoric straight from the gay activist handbook of labels.
Aside from the obvious fact that Campion is being scrutinized with "guilt by association" tactics, what is just as frightening is their "concern" about his religious views. Which by the way, only became known last week (as they are a private matter) in his professional life, when it was discovered that he is a former board member of the Illinois Family Institute–oh my, a Christian organization.
It is important to note, that there are no charges of bias pertaining to Campion's work. Which according to the Star report, Campion has performed psychological testing for 32 years and for more than 100 law enforcement agencies. Not to mention the fact that this same police department hired a firm to evaluate the evaluator, where Campion received high marks in cultural fairness.
The only complaints have come from a few people who were deemed unqualified to be officers by Campion's psychological tests. Like the single mom who whined "I felt like he was judging me" by his facial expressions.
Maybe his pen skipped; maybe he marked a wrong box by accident. Maybe he had gas and didn't want to offend the poor woman. Talk about judgment? She "felt" like. Wow. This man's reputation is in question because of someone's feelings or perhaps insecurities?
Someone applying for a job they have never worked before has no way of knowing how they will react in a life and death situation; neither does the department looking to hire a new officer for that matter. So a test is used in an attempt to put officers on the street that can serve the public in a safe manner, and be stable enough to deal with the job.
I have no doubt that the test is imperfect, but I am just as sure that there are people who thought they should have the job, are also people who should not be placed in high stress situation with a gun and authority to shoot it.
The public should be grateful that Dr. Campion designed such a test.
Yet, there is an assumption that because he has past affiliations with a Christian organization, he is automatically suspect, and labeled as being judgmental and bias.
So, how is this man supposed to defend himself? Open private medical records and point to all of the homosexual,lesbian officers and single parents he has passed?
Comments
I'm wondering where you find the liberal bias in the article. The article describes the length of his career, the number of departments he's worked with and the high marks he received from a consulting firm. The newspaper didn't stop using the man; the police department did. The article goes on to quote the institute director.
I don't see anything approaching bias, liberal or conservative.
As for how the man defends himself, the article says he "didn't return repeated calls from a reporter". I'd say he defends himself by answering the reporter's questions. Pretty easy.
Posted by thought on August 30, 2006 at 11:23 PM
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