Betrayer. Blabbermouth. Snitch. Tattletale. All the synonyms for whistleblower have negative connotations yet whistleblowing is, by definition, the act of exposing wrongdoing.
Whistleblowers often suffer bad reputations because while, on the one hand, they are building a foundation of truth, on the other hand, their exposed truth likely results in a different piece of our society crumbling.
The question is, if a whistleblower tells the truth, even to the detriment of a community, are they a hero or a villain?
There are Rules
Regulations and retaliations are in place to quiet whistleblowers. Yet, despite the consequences, Americans are calling for the truth now more than ever. Organizations such as The National Whistleblowing Center are dedicated to spreading resources such as whistleblowers’ rights, stories of experiences, and the starting steps to report the truth while staying protected.
In some cases, such as the Flint Michigan Water Crisis, so many whistleblowers have come forward that many are calling for amendments in the Michigan Whistleblowers’ Protection Act (WPA) to provide more protection for those seeking justice and truth in an event surrounded by so much negligence and corruption. In our upcoming production of Brett Neveu’s Traitor, the town of East Lake must decide if what a whistleblower says is real, and what the truth will do to their community.
Flint Water Crisis
Like in our upcoming production, harm to the city of Flint Michigan was first voiced by whistleblowers - members of the community that became concerned with the well being of children living there after noticing a decrease in health. Though it is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People (published in 1882) which surrounds the story of a contaminated public spa house, parallels can still be found over 100 years later in situations like that in Flint.
LeeAnne Walters and Marc Edwards were two of the first people to come forward in Flint to alert the city of a possible problem with their drinking water. The city tried to convince the public that there was no cause for concern, even accusing them of contaminating their own drinking water for attention. With help, they then collected water-testing kits resulting in evidence that there was a spike in lead and that the problem was concentrated in the poorest neighborhoods.
Lead poisoning can lead to issues such as slow growth, learning disabilities, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, damage to the kidneys and nervous system, and seizures. While Michigan state officials stand by a death toll of just 12, reporters are uncovering that there are actually at least 112 deaths likely linked to the contamination.
The Result
While whistleblowers in Flint undoubtedly saved lives, the price of the truth came at the downfall of the city. Housing prices in Flint have decreased - many homes left vacant, the city has their work cut out for them reversing their public image from that depicted in the media of a war zone-esque wasteland, and when everything is said and done, the crisis will have cost an estimated $400 Million.
In Traitor, our teacher Dr. Tom Stock, while having discovered that lead in the soil around a local charter school is the cause of poor health in a rising number of students, is met with a community not as hungry for the truth. This comes after the realization that to heal one piece of their city, would likely mean the decline of the city as a whole due to the investors of the school that also keep the city afloat. Find out which side wins and if Dr. Stock gets to be the hero these students need or the villain responsible for the downfall of a city in this political reality.
Traitor runs March 13th - 28th at The Magnetic Theatre. Click here for more information: www.themagnetictheatre.com
