The difference between a whistleblower or a tattler is their mission – no matter what they publicly declare.

Whistling is to trying prevent potential disaster from happening to innocent people. In other words, whistleblowing is attempting to do your part to make sure bad stuff doesn’t continue. It’s definitely a brave act on the part of the whistleblower, knowing even as they speak out that the said bad stuff could very easily land on them. We are definitely talking payback.

Tattlers have a very different motive. To tattle is to intend for the victim to hurt. Most of the time, tattlers have what they believe is a perfectly good reason for blabbing. They’ve had problems with someone in the past, and this is the tattler’s chance to exact their revenge on the tattlee.

Think sibling rivalry at its finest. Warring young siblings are a great example of revenge-taking. There is no one more deliberate than a sister or brother who wants revenge. Ask anyone who grew up in a family of more than just one kid.

There really are big differences in tattling and whistleblowing. But unfortunately, in our present world, the difference is usually pretty obscure to most people. Here’s why.

If someone is a friend or a benefactor of a person involved in a, umm, shall we say, less than exemplary shining activity, it seems it’s a lot more difficult to chew through the moral challenges and know exactly what to do. There are probably very few who quickly and automatically insist on everything in life being above board and godly … especially if they are going to be affected personally.

“Losing for me and mine is a whole ‘nuther proposition than just loss for you and yours.”

The golden oldie days of the good guys in white hats outnumbering the bad guys in black hats are long gone. Now it’s usually everyone looking out for #1 Uno and Friends. And our country is showing the effects of this growing trend.

Now, we have a country running amok. We have leadership in many areas of authority that is less than stellar and morally upright. And the United States is now undoubtedly feeling the effects of this downward spiral. Sadly, influential heads of organizations, companies and political figures seem to be deliberately watching all this through blind eyes.

And we citizens are accepting this behavior that the generations 50 years before us would never have tolerated. Back then, the public outcry and rage heard across our nation would have demanded a real change at the top of the food chain. And would have actually had a chance to achieve that change.

All I know to do is this. Start praying. And if you personally need to change, do it.

Change for a country comes only one way. Its citizens, who firmly believe that enough is enough, commit to standing up for right, and publicly standing for drastic differences in how we conduct ourself as a nation.

— Podcasts are available at Coffeetimecolumn.com. Send any responses to andybowman839@gmail.com.