I awoke this morning unaware of some actually good news. A measure to turn the wrench on the FAA and its relation with airframers is reported to be near passage in the U.S. Congress. Who woulda thunk it?
I'm still holding off on banging out a few (dozen) paragraphs on what is needed to protect whistleblowers (this free-lance lawyering gig does impose some constraints, altho "self-employed" still has pizzaz, ain't it?). I'll just say that the model of litigation and pre-suit investigation process that most comes to mind is the so-called "qui tam" lawsuit, brought on behalf of Uncle Sam by a particular class of whistleblowers (who are richly rewarded for their risk-taking, where such claims are proven up).
I haven't been introduced to the former CEO of the airframer whose decisions led to such calamitous results, and which may yet become the provocation for wrenching, real reform and - dare an old SLF/atty hope - rejuvenation of the big ol' manufacturing bays that once made Scoop Jackson an impressive and unmovable character in the U.S. Senate. I will say, however, that the look on the former CEO's visage when he had to turn around at hearing and look upon the assembled survivors of the crash victims -- like the credit card advert says, priceless?---no, it was very costly, indeed, in human suffering and carnage, and in terms that cannot be expressed in legislative terms, provisions or codifications. But I climbed off my rack this morning in a free society, and its elected representatives are on a path to do the right thing. Can love be far behind?