Whistleblowers, Prison, and More…

Catherine J. Frompovich
Activist Post

Whistleblowers, in my humble opinion, are honorable people who should be valued rather than prosecuted. I know that may go against the grain for some readers. However, are we not guaranteed—and morally obligated—to think, feel, and believe what our consciences require of us? Nevertheless, is that where a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings occur, i.e., in the new mores which have crept into mainstream consciousness that reflect, in many instances, the concept of morally right being ethically wrong, and vice versa?

Far be it from me to preach about moral guidance, but what illustrates perfectly well my side of the ‘argument’ is what’s been going on with federal government agencies regarding citizen rights, privacy, and surveillance. Basically, we have no privacy anymore! That’s been confirmed more times than not, and not just by “conspiracy theorists” who have been vindicated more often than not.

Those who experience double standard principles and see injustice practiced, whether it be in government, the military, or the corporate world, and report it because they know it is morally wrong are prosecuted as criminals, often having the “book thrown at them.”

As I write this article, my computer screen shouts via a red banner, “Breaking News: Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy. Convicted on lesser charges.” My immediate thought was, “Boy! Didn’t that judge frost some higher-ups’ livers.” Actually, I had some other male anatomy parts in mind, but decided it better not to mention them. Let’s see how the military court will deal with Mr. Manning, who has been treated inhumanely by the U.S. military and government, who should know better than to do what they did to Manning while in prison, in my opinion. Apparently, they wanted to break the man’s spirit and make him pay, even before he was convicted. It seems like he was proven guilty even before he had his day in court. At least, that’s how I see it.

Whistleblowers have a special place in my heart, regardless of what anyone may think. I say that because of what I call the double standard of laws. When government or its agencies break the laws for whatever reason, very few, if any, pay the price unless there’s some deflective tactics involved, i.e., the Gen. Stanley McChrystal ‘thing’ when, according to Military on NBCNews.com,

Obama said bluntly that Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s scornful remarks about administration officials represent conduct that “undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system.”[1]

So much for our democratic system; it was put on life support immediately after 9-11, 2001, in my opinion. Currently, it’s just about flat lining. Tragically, no one seems to be able to find the magic defibrillator or paddles—allegorically speaking—needed to bring back to life the constitutional and democratic republic called the USA.

One whistleblower I truly admire is Mr. John Kiriakou, who, according to Wikipedia, “… is notable as the first official within the U.S. government to confirm the use of waterboarding of al-Qaeda prisoners as an interrogation technique, which he described as torture.” Kiriakou was convicted of violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and the first for passing along classified information to a reporter. [2]

John Kiriakou is serving time in the federal penitentiary at Loretto in western Pennsylvania. According to his “Letters From Loretto” published at http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2013/07/29/cia-whistleblower-john-kiriakous-new-normal-pedophiles-in-prison/, John reveals what life is like in the federal pen and—in his latest missive—how seemingly misguided prison rules and regulations are with regard to sensitive issues, i.e., pedophile inmates being within close proximity to his children in the prison visitors lounge.

I’m pleased to reveal that I’m a pen pal to the whistleblower, John Kiriakou. John and I correspond; he tells me he is writing a book about his time in prison, and even asked me for a suggestion for the book’s title, since he knows I’m a writer and taught creative writing courses. Recently, John said he passed on my title suggestion to his publisher. He enjoys getting my greeting cards and letters, and expresses his thanks for how much hearing from others uplifts his spirits.

Friday, August 9th, will be John’s 49th birthday. I’ve put a birthday card in the mail to him, and am wondering if any Activist Post readers would like to surprise John with a birthday card, letting him know that he is not forgotten and truly is appreciated for being a whistleblower. This will be John’s first birthday in prison. I think it would be great if the prison mail service were inundated with birthday cards for John, a true American patriot, in my opinion.

If you would like to send a birthday card to John, please address it as follows:

John Kiriakou #79637-083
Federal Correctional Institution
P O Box 1000
Loretto, PA 15940

Thank you, and thanks to all the whistleblowers for the risks you have taken. I, for one, deeply appreciate what you have done. We need more like you, because if we didn’t have the original patriots, we would not have this great country called the United States of America. They literally laid down their lives and fortunes for what they thought was the expedient and morally right thing to do. If they had not done what was considered treason, we’d still be singing “God Save the Queen.” We don’t need any monarchs, dictators, or bona fide traitors. We need patriots. God bless America!

Notes:

[1] http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37866754/ns/us_news-military/t/obama-relieves-mcchrystal-command/

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou

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Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies.

Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).