Self-reporting
In an effort to bring a focus onto one component of the large set of issues or problems either (a) created by the GW incident, or (b) put into much starker relief by the incident, the point at which this post is aimed at communicating is that reform of employment-related laws, procedures and regulations is not an unknown animal. Even large-scale reform.
Several statutory examples may be cited (though to make the point, these references are not included here) whereby the laws relating to employment significantly constrain the arbitrary or retaliatory action of an employer, when such employer is confronted by an employee who has taken action of which the employer strongly disapproves. The constant refrain of those posters who, while appearing to support the concept of greater self-reporting in general also withhold stronger support, is that they are convinced the airline company simply would sack (fire, terminate, furlough indefinitely) any pilot who self-reported. So, from a perspective of law reform - which by the way, is somewhat the antithesis of the "do something to reassure the public" because law reform does not happen overnight - from a perspective of wanting to instigate or prompt serious efforts to update and make more effective existing laws, legislating and implementing a solution to the "they'll get sacked, if they self-report" problem is attainable.
But attainable only in the micro sense. A good number of other posters have lamented the sad state of the airline business, and even a well-drafted, wisely implemented, and well-intentioned law reform move will not solve the rest of the problems which demand attention.