ARCS p. 283 #2 & 4

2.) After reading about empirical evidence and its varying levels of reliability, I instantly thought of the recently released movie, The Changeling. This film tells the true story of Christine Collins, a young mother whose son, Walter, disappeared during the 1920s. Following an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, a young boy was returned to Collins who claimed to be her son. However, Collins immediately realized that the boy was not who he said he was. Despite her claims that the returned child was not her son, the LAPD insisted that she take the boy home and that his drastic physical changes were reasonable results of the amount of time and trauma he had faced while away from home. Collins soon discovered that the boy claiming to be her son was circumcised, unlike her own son, and that the new child was three inches shorter then her son was the last time she measured him. The police continued to insist that the boy they delivered to Christine Collins was her son and even sent a doctor to her house who assured her that the boy’s spine actually could have shrunk during his absence, causing his decrease in height. The doctor was clearly being coerced by the police and Collins refused to believe his claims. Despite Collin’s empirical evidence of the true identity of the boy, the police department still refused to continue the search for her son. Therefore, Collins decided to collect her own evidence through visiting her son’s dentist and teacher. Both of these individuals claimed that there was no way the child could be Walter based on his physical appearance and his dental records. Still, the police refused to hear Collin’s argument. Instead, the officers forcefully admitted her into the psychiatric ward of the Los Angles hospital, claiming that she was not mentally stable. Only when another officer discovered the remains of several children who were murdered on a ranch was Ms. Collins released from the hospital.
In this case, I felt that the empirical evidence discovered by Christine Collins was extremely reliable and convincing. Dental records, height charts, and physical appearance are difficult to prove false. I feel that the police department’s refusal to review the Collins case was motivated more by a desire to cover up the mistakes of a faulty investigation then by the lack of empirical evidence. Still, I agree that some evidence that appears to be empirical should be questioned before considered reliable. For example, the doctor’s testimony that the boy could have shrunk three inches in a matter of months is obviously unconvincing. What must truly be questioned is the doctor’s motivation. I feel that he was likely already prompted by the police to attempt to convince Collins that the boy they brought her was indeed her son. Sadly, the LAPD’s inability to recognize sufficient empirical evidence led to the unjust hospitalization of an innocent woman, as well as the discontinuation of the search for a missing boy who may have been found had the department continued to look for him rather then ignoring his mother. Despite the arrest of a child murderer, Walter Collin’s body was never found. Christine Collins continued her search for her son but was never able to uncover his whereabouts or the source of his disappearance.

4.) When I work on written arguments, I feel that I provide accurate and convincing data. I always refer to my sources in my writing and include a works cited page. However, I do feel that I could be more careful about the credibility of the authors and scholars I site in my writing. It would be helpful to read reviews of these writers’ works and see if any other authors or scholars contest their opinions. I should also be more careful about sighting information from websites. I feel that I should pay closer attention to where exactly the information came from originally and whether or not these sources are credible.