Hope on the Horizon for Federal Whistle Blowers – Now, if only…
Twenty years ago, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off, killing it's seven crew members and setting scientific research back for who-knows-how-many-years. (http://www.geektimes.com/michael/culture/memoriam/challengerSpaceShuttle/fiftyOneEll.html)
This disaster was avoidable. Engineers employed at NASA knew one of the components on the shuttle was faulty, but they would have been severely punished for "going public" with information that might have prevented this tragic loss.
Just last month, the Supreme Court ruled that "going public" under circumstances like that is not protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution's right of free speech. This month, the Senate is trying to restore that protection through a new Amendment. This is quite a bold step on the part of our Senators—it's like saying, "Hey, if I do something so bad that the American people will be jeopardized by it, government employees have my permission to go tell the media." What a wonderful example of government by and for the people! Hurray for the Senate!
Now let's hope the our Representatives in the House appreciate the wisdom of this Amendment.
This disaster was avoidable. Engineers employed at NASA knew one of the components on the shuttle was faulty, but they would have been severely punished for "going public" with information that might have prevented this tragic loss.
Just last month, the Supreme Court ruled that "going public" under circumstances like that is not protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution's right of free speech. This month, the Senate is trying to restore that protection through a new Amendment. This is quite a bold step on the part of our Senators—it's like saying, "Hey, if I do something so bad that the American people will be jeopardized by it, government employees have my permission to go tell the media." What a wonderful example of government by and for the people! Hurray for the Senate!
Now let's hope the our Representatives in the House appreciate the wisdom of this Amendment.
