Few ethical dilemmas are as gut wrenching as to whether or not to blow the whistle on unethical, inefficient or stupid practices by your employer. The personal cost is often very high. For Dr. Manion, it was the loss of his job and the high likelihood that no one else will hire a “trouble maker” like him.

There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Manion fulfilled his duty to his country and his profession. There is no doubt in my mind that the government here was intent not on the care of veterans but on covering its thoroughly incompetent butt.

Let’s not mince words. Firing conscientious workers is a clear and distinct message to leave your morals at the door, that if you are asked to participate in crimes, you’d better participate. It is the last refuge of the employer scoundrel, unless you consider murdering the employee a possibility. The Navy failed in its duty to the nation, to its members and to any semblance of moral responsibility.

THE STORY

Dr. Kernan Manion was terminated by his contractor. His contractor said the Navy asked for him to be terminated.

Manion was made aware by his clients that many on base were suffering severe psychological problems that were going untreated because the system wasn’t working properly due to neglect and because superior officers penalized those who sought treatment.

The soldiers told him that they felt it was likely someone would snap and there would be a mass shooting on the base. Manion wrote memos warning of the problem and provided documentation supporting his findings.  The navy did not want to see these memos.

On June 24, a supervisor for the contractor warned Manion to stop making trouble. “Kernan Manion, it is requested that you cease and desist all further correspondence with the government,” the supervisor with NiteLines, Pamela Friend, wrote to Manion.

After his firing, Manion wrote to President Obama:

“Frankly, in my more than 25 years of clinical practice, I’ve never seen such immense emotional suffering and psychological brokenness — literally a relentless stream of courageous, well-trained and formerly strong Marines deeply wounded psychologically by the immensity of their combat experience,”