Word: rowley
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...selection of three courageous women--Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, Coleen Rowley of the FBI and Sherron Watkins of Enron--as Persons of the Year was inspiring [Dec. 30--Jan. 6]. Each exemplifies "good work"--work that is excellent in quality and socially responsible. Their stories reveal that each had a strong sense of mission as well as one or more role models who sought to do the right thing. Most important, each was willing to take an unflinching look in the mirror to see whether she was proud or ashamed of the work she was performing. Thanks to your accolade...
...three grew up in small towns in the middle of the country, in families that at times lived paycheck to paycheck. In a twist that will delight psychologists, they are all firstborns. More unusually, all three are married but serve as the chief breadwinners in their families. Cooper and Rowley have husbands who are full-time, stay-at-home dads. For every one of them, the decision to confront the higher-ups meant jeopardizing a paycheck their families truly depended...
...there were two other women out there fighting the same kind of battles. In preparation for their meeting in Minneapolis, WorldCom's Cooper read through the testimony that Enron's Watkins gave before Congress. "I actually broke out in a cold sweat," Cooper says. In Minneapolis, when FBI lawyer Rowley heard Cooper talk about a need for regular people to step up and do the right thing, she stood up and applauded...
...think so. As it happens, studies show that women are a bit less likely than men to be whistle-blowers. And a point worth mentioning--two out of the three hate the term whistle-blower. Too much like "tattletale," says Cooper. But if the term unnerves Cooper and Rowley, that may be because whistle-blowers don't have an easy time. Almost all say they would not do it again. If they aren't fired, they're cornered: isolated and made irrelevant. Eventually many suffer from alcoholism or depression...
...Watkins, Rowley and Cooper have kick-started conversations essential to the clean operation of American life, conversations that will continue for years. It may still be true that no one could have prevented the attacks of Sept. 11, but the past year has shown that the FBI and the CIA overlooked vital clues and held back data from each other. No matter how many new missile systems the Pentagon deploys or which new airport screening systems are adopted, if we can't trust the institutions charged with tracking terrorists to do the job, homeland defense will be an empty phrase...