I "get" that you don't "get" the idea underlying the First Amendment

[JDPriestly]

81. It's very simple, randome.

Whistleblowing means warning the public about a wrong or danger to the public that the person blowing the whistle or taking the documents to a foreign country discovered was happening or being caused in and being covered up or kept secret by his employers.

We know that cigarette manufacturers knew they were selling a poisonous, addictive product thanks to a whistleblower.

We know about the NSA spying and potential for blackmail and other criminal conduct on the part of the NSA because of several whistleblowers.

I am grateful to whistleblowers. We cannot have freedom or anything approaching a democracy unless we protect whistleblowers.'

And because of the nature of their activity, which is revealing truths that the whistleblower deems constitute public dangers of a serious nature and are hidden from public view, we have to protect whistleblowing even when our law says it is illegal and even when we don't agree that the information about which the whistle was blown is very important.

Whistleblowers are our canaries in the mine shaft. Listen carefully to whistleblowers. They are the bravest amongst us. Do they make mistakes? Don't we all? But whistleblowers are the nobility of democracy.