Killing the Messenger

Trey Smith

It seems the old adage is true: Nobody likes a snitch! This sentiment especially is true of those in power. They don't like their shenanigans exposed to the public, particularly when such exposure places them in a bad light and suggests some degree of dishonesty, corruption or lawlessness.

But something in our world has changed over the past generation or two. It used to be that the information released by whistleblowers led to some recriminations plus efforts to ensure that the dubious or nefarious activities exposed would not be repeated again (think of the Pentagon Papers). Today, however, that's not what occurs at all. Instead of looking at the misdeeds exposed, the powers that be go out of their way to go after the messenger, the whistleblower!

As statistics show, the Obama administration has gone after more whistleblowers -- folks exposing government dishonesty, illegality and/or malfeasance -- than all previous presidential administrations combined! Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks are the poster children of these efforts. At the same time, they willfully have chosen NOT to investigate any of the "crimes" exposed nor punish anyone responsible for them.

This is not simply a US problem either. This same scenario is playing out in Vatican City. The butler for the Pope has been arrested for leaking documents to the Italian press that include "allegations of corruption, mismanagement and cronyism in the awarding of contracts for work in the Vatican and internal disagreement on the management of the Vatican bank."

Since this is a Christian organization -- one that follows in the footsteps of a certain Jewish carpenter -- they must be handling the situation far differently than Barack Obama, right? No way! The powers in the church vehemently have attacked the butler and one higher up stated that, like Jesus, the Pope has been betrayed by his own Judas!

All attention has been focused on the messenger and not on the activities he exposed. The Vatican has been working hard to sweep their dirty laundry back under the rug in the hope that nobody notices the huge lump in the carpet!!