It’s civil disobedience

When a person is unable to correct an illegality within their organization, he can become a whistle-blower by going public with his information. Federal and state laws exist to protect whistle-blowers from reprisal but unfortunately, retaliation from the subject of the target toot is an everpresent danger.

A different problem arises when the government is engaged in illicit activity and unwilling to use the law to protect the potential whistle-blower. The whistle-blower may then be forced to become a news leaker. Currently, Republicans are condemning leaking as many kinds of crime, including treason. However, only leaking information that is classified is a crime.

Before jumping to negative conclusions about news leakers, consider that whistle-blowing and news leaking are forms of civil disobedience. News leakers act to bring illegality to the public’s notice as they engage in civil disobedience. In the history of civil disobedience, individuals have knowingly violated the law in good conscience because they believed the violation was necessary to achieve a higher goal. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi are obvious examples. Without leakers, the Nixon resignation would not have happened, and General Flynn would still be in office.

Obviously, much good has come to the world from civil disobedience.

It is a sad, discomfiting commentary on our electoral process that we must so often rely on loyal, brave law violators to keep our elected officials from interfering with our constitutional rights. LEN WHITE Fayetteville