Whistleblowers to the Rescue!

Whistleblowers are employees who work for a company or the federal government to investigate and disclose severe breaches of public trust. The whistleblower position is important because they hold the institution and leaders accountable. They believe that there is a violation of the law or regulation, gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, abuses of power, or a danger to public health or safety. Whistleblowers are the ones who want to spread the truth. 

According to the National Whistleblower Center, whistleblowers are the ones who have exposed many secrets in cases. For instance, one case of these cases addressed the Vietnam War. By releasing the Pentagon Papers, which demonstrated that the United States had lied about its participation in Vietnam, former American military analyst Daniel Ellsberg exposed the misbehavior of the American government during the Vietnam War. It was exposed that former Presidents continued to send American soldiers to fight in a war that could not be won. Due to this, Ellsberg was charged with violating the Espionage Act of 1917, theft charges, and conspiracy-related offenses, with a potential sentence of 115 years. Charges were eventually withdrawn, however, as a result of improper evidence gathered by the government. The disclosures made by Ellsberg are acknowledged as being a key element in ending the war.

Although the job of a whistleblower may be a risky and ballsy position, I believe it is a role that should be respected and appreciated. Without whistleblowers, we as a nation would be in the dark about what goes on behind big corporations and our government. 

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