They Want Us Silent
70% of federal employees once said they would report wrongdoing if they saw it. Today that number has fallen to 20–30%.
What happens when the Supply Chain that brings all of us the truth is broken?
Democracies cannot function if people are afraid to tell the truth.
I cannot recommend this interview enough.
My friend Bob Gatty of Lean to the Left sat down with Marcel Reid of the National Whistleblower Center, and several of her comments have been rattling around in my head ever since I watched it.
And I can’t pick my favorite quote. But here is one that summed up the problem we’re facing.
“We do need facts to form informed opinions.”
Hell, yeah we do. And the supply chain that has been bringing us facts has been destroyed.
This is another favorite quote from this interview.
“Democracies, republics don't last if people don't know the truth, and people can't participate from a position of knowing the truth if every source for the truth is shut down.”
That struck me because it highlights something we rarely talk about.
Truth has a supply chain.
Facts do not simply appear.
Someone has to witness wrongdoing.
Someone has to speak up.
Someone has to investigate.
Someone has to publish.
Someone has to be willing to listen.
And every step in that chain is currently under pressure.
Another quote that resonated with me was Marcel’s description of whistleblowers:
“I thought that all that would happen is you would tell the truth, people would hear the truth, they would prove that what you’re saying was not dishonest, and things would change.”
Many of us were raised to believe exactly that.
Tell the truth.
Present the evidence.
People will listen.
But reality is often far more complicated.
Whistleblowers frequently lose jobs, friends, standing in the community, and sometimes much more. And the break down of our media outlets has made it even harder. As Marcel explains, speaking up often comes with a very real personal cost and now more than ever we need to help Whistleblowers.
Perhaps the most alarming moment in the interview was this statistic:
Two years ago, up to 70% of federal employees said they would report wrongdoing if they saw it.
Today that number has dropped to 20–30%.
Think about what that means.
What happens when people stop speaking up?
What happens when journalists lose sources?
What happens when journalists can’t, or won’t, be allowed to publish?
What happens when those who witness misconduct decide it is safer to stay quiet?
Or are frustratingly ignored and shut down as we have been seeing with the Epstein survivors?
Whether you are concerned about government, corporations, elections, public health, national security, or local corruption, the same question applies:
How do we hold power accountable if the people who know the truth are afraid — or not given platforms — to tell it?
If you do one thing today, watch and share Bob Gatty’s interview with Marcel Reid.
It is one of the most important conversations I’ve heard in a long time.
And on a personal note, I was recently fortunate to sit down with Bob again to discuss another question that has been on my mind:
If we know there are problems, what can ordinary citizens do about them?
We spent a lot of time talking about solutions, election transparency, and what can still be done before the midterms.
That interview should be out next week, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I encourage you to check out Bob’s excellent Lean to the Left interviews and the important conversations he’s been hosting.
And if any of these interviews leaves you asking, “What can I do?” we’d love to hear from you.
It’s Up to Us is always looking for volunteers willing to help us investigate voter records, file public records requests, verify data, and help ensure that every legal vote is counted and that ineligible votes are identified before they can dilute the votes of eligible citizens.
To volunteer, email:
Subject Line: Volunteer
You can also learn more about our work, become a supporter, or make a donation at:
Because protecting democracy isn’t someone else’s job.
It’s up to all of us.
Thanks so much, Alison. Happy to strongly support the It'sUpToUs movement. It's extremely important that we fight back against efforts to rig the election, to use the words of the orange rigger-in-chief.