Impacts of the whistle in our community
Whistles today have multiple practical uses that almost everybody has encountered at least once. Overall, they help to create a more organized and safe community. Not only are they used in sports by referees, but they are also used by leaders to command attention from a crowd of people with one blast. Because of the whistle’s signals, large groups can be organized quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, the whistle is a symbol for transparency and freedom of information in the form of whistleblowing. Whistles even save lives when used by police and engineers to keep people safe by alerting them of dangers such as criminals and heavy machinery.
Their loud, attention-getting blast makes whistles essential for police officers and sports referees. They can save lives when used by lifeguards, lost campers, or crime victims. Innumerable organizers and leaders, ranging from teachers to drum majors, use them to focus attention and demonstrate authority (Hall).
The whistle is one of the best tools for calling large groups of people to attention because of its small size that makes it easy to carry around, while maintaining a loud, shrill sound that is sure to catch people’s attention, even in a noisy area. Whistles are even used in the military to command soldiers efficiently and over a wide area, since the instrument’s sound can be hear from afar. The idea of using whistles to command people was an ingenious one which has been used for centuries, even in ancient Greece and Rome to command galley slaves, and later, English crossbow men. However, today they are more widespread than ever before, and are used around the world by leaders to quiet groups and show authority. Because of these small instruments, a big impact on the improvement of organization in many communities is made.
‘When they try these experiments in quieting trains, they have more accidents.’ When Florida passed a law in the 1980s forbidding trains from sounding their whistles at night on the Florida East Coast Railroad, the rate of collisions increased by 195 percent, Flatau said (Oakley).
Many people believe the loud blasts of train whistles, especially at night, are annoying and unnecessary. However, these disturbances can--and do--save multiple lives. When people are unsafe around train tracks, it is almost impossible for the train to stop, so the only thing that can be done in an attempt to alert the person that a train is coming is to sound the whistle. This safety precaution greatly increases the safety of everyone in the community, from those who travel by foot to bikers and car drivers. Since crossroad barriers are often unable to prevent as many accidents as a train whistle, laws to quiet trains are often met with less complaints but a significant increase in casualties. Train whistles help to keep people safe from collisions, saving countless lives and encouraging safe railroad practices in communities.
Whistleblowing is generally regarded as a valuable contribution to transparency and accountability within U.S. society…motivation stems from a desire to expose wrongdoing in oppressive governments across the world, but has expanded to include advocacy and enforcement of general government transparency and openness (Lozano).
The whistle is a symbol of freedom of information and exposing wrongdoings by “blowing the whistle” on corruption or harmful practices of businesses or an individual’s employer. The term was first used in the 1950s, and it derives from the action of a policeman blowing a whistle to alert others of crime. Publicly exposing an organization is usually seen as a positive action because it helps to eliminate risks of people getting scammed or tricked by them. However, the organization itself often fires the whistleblower and ostracizes them. Despite the risks, though, whistleblowing is a widely embraced global practice that helps free governments and agencies around the world of corruption and encouraging businesses to be transparent with their information and not to practice harmful actions. Being a symbol for this advocacy of transparency shows the whistle’s contributions to a better community and world free of corruption and wrongdoings in the business and government world.