Re: ATSDR Child-Health Materials via Duke's What's New Page

["Protect All Children's Environment" <pace@mcdowell.main.nc.us>]

  Consider, for instance, that
  
  there are now laws in about
  
  13 states which make it illegal
  
  for a company employee to
  
  reveal that his/her company
  
  is poisoning people if that
  
  company has "self-reported"
  
  the activity. Some of these
  
  laws make a whistleblower
  
  liable for any fines or lawsuits
  
  that a company might face
  
  as a result of the media
  
  exposure. I would absolutely
  
  support a whistleblower secretly
  
  revealing the pollution, even though
  
  he/she is breaking the law.
  
  
  These laws do not prove that it is improper for an employee to reveal the
  sins of the employer, but rather the inappropriate and inordinate influence
  over our elected officials by industry.  Also the extent of the usurpation
  of democracy by industry.  
       
  Another evidence of this is the so called "tort reform" that is taking
  place across the country to the benefit of poisoners and polluters.  Again
  they do not want to be responsible for the tremendous expenses of poisoning
  people so they have pushed to have laws passed to limit their liability for
  defective products.  Caps on punitive damages are to polluters; as is
  giving all convicted murderers an automatic 6 month sentence for killing.
  These industrial poison pushers are actively and openly working to
  eliminate jury awards all together.  As it is juries have their decisions
  reversed by a politically motivated judge in most of these toxic tort cases
  now.  Citizens should express outrage with their politicians that these
  abridgements of American rights are taking place.