Edward Snowden and the life of a whistleblower

There is a certain personality that is usual in the people who whistleblow. We are people who demand fairness, perhaps, even often, not for ourselves but for others. I don't know what that says psychologically that we are willing to put up with awfulness until we see it's impact on others and then we whistleblow. And those of us with that personality trait generally know or wind up through painful experience that we will be the one's hurt.

Yeah, Whistleblowers are protected, always, everywhere. We have a policy at work that says we will be protected if we whistleblow. That and $3.50 will buy me a starbucks coffee whilst I look for another job. You see, I've been on this path my whole life. Even as a child, I demanded that fairness reign. Rain happened but not the way I expected.

But now, I'm older. I have a disabled young adult son I'm caring for. I need my job. It has kept me quiet and meek now for almost 7 years. But seeing how other people are being systematically emotionally tormented and abused and in one case, physically abused, has led me to understand that I need to do it again.

This time, though, I will do it smart. I will bring a lawyer. Probably not the union lawyer, though he is welcome if he's not hostile. And I will be checking with the union to see if I'm missing anything. But the time grows nigh, because people are talking and I have five (six if we count the one who was physically abused and left) people who've come to me to say they want to be in on it. Great, I'm a ringleader of a bunch of first time whistleblowers. But even one lawyer there should keep the hounds at bay. But, of course, I will have a long and expensive discussion with a lawyer who protects whistleblowers prior.

I have no interest in moving to Russia or even leaving my job. The abuse must stop and the chronic unsafe staffing must stop. It's not going to stop on it's own.

This is my fourth time down this road and yeah, I know my character will be assassinated for not holding the code. What happens here stays here.

I wonder what sort of person and what sort of life I might have had if I didn't share Edward Snowden's determination that people stop being lied to and hurt. And Bradley Manning. For all the big names, there are those, like me, who never make the news but maybe helped make a few things right, at great personal cost.

I hope to play the game on a different playing field this time. I hope it works. If not, I may be blackballed. That would suck, but I would find some way to support my man child.

Just venting. This afternoon after 4 hours sleep, I pick my son up from the bus and then I will start calling the union and lawyers. Time to just do it.