Why Whistle Blowers Are Heroes?

Question #1

In general, I look at whistle blowers as heroes. Whistle blowers are the people who stand up for what is “right” when no one else will. They try to protect anyone who could possibly be injured in the process. They risk their personal safety and face constant backlash for shedding light on the truth. While being a whistleblower is not necessarily a glorious job, it is necessary for the public’s best interest. Daniel Ellsberg is an example of why I think whistle blowers are heroes (Cohen, David). Ellsberg worked as a strategic analyst at the RAND Corporation, which advised the U.S. government on military strategy. Ellsberg worked on a top-secret report for the Defense Secretary which became known as "The Pentagon Papers." Ellsberg

In 1969, he and RAND colleague, Russo, began secretly photocopying the entire 7,000 page Pentagon Papers. He offered the papers to various congressmen, but they all refused to make them public or hold hearings on them. In 1971, he leaked the papers to the New York Times who published them. Nixon was afraid that Ellsberg obtained documents that showed Nixon’s plans to escalate the Vietnam War. Nixon worked on a campaign to discredit Ellsberg, which included wiretapping Ellsberg's phone and breaking into Dr. Lewis Fielding office to search for materials to blackmail Ellsberg. Ellsberg was charged with theft, conspiracy, and violations of the Espionage Act, which were later dropped. Many people inside and outside the government called him a traitor (Biography.com

First, since information must result in a successful enforcement action, only a small number of whistleblowers will receive an award. Therefore, they reward a few individuals significantly, but provide no reward to the majority of whistleblowers. Second, financial incentives could result in malicious reporting. Uninformed parties or people who just want the money will start rumors which would cause innocent parties to be unfairly damaged (Nathani, Suhail, and Yogesh Chande). I do not think that it is unseemly to report people who do not pay their taxes as long as it’s done in good faith. If it is “unseemly” to report a neighbor for doing something wrong, society will suffer (Morgenson, Gretchen). Not reporting a neighbor for not paying taxes may not seem like a big deal to some people. However, where does a person draw the line on when to report someone? This could lead to people not reporting major crimes and offenses. The world would be an even scarier place if people did not report