On September 27th, Frank Wills died after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 52. If you don't remember who Frank Wills was, you're not alone.

Wills had his 15 minutes of fame, based on his discovering the famous taped door at the Watergate complex in Washington, DC, on the night of June 17, 1972. This security guard's call to the police led to the arrest of the five "burglars," prison terms for several high government officials, and the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

It is worth noting that although much investigation went on via numerous agencies, as well as the ridiculously over-hyped Woodward and Bernstein efforts, there would have been no "Watergate" at all, if it weren't for Frank Wills.

Aside from a few interviews, honoraria, and playing himself in All the President's Men (1976), Wills' life was pretty rotten. He died young, in abject poverty.

Maybe he expected to cash in on his fame, but he couldn't even get hired for small-time jobs. Maybe his attitude wasn't the greatest, but he couldn't overcome the stigma. He was the bearer of bad tidings, and although he wasn't killed on the spot--the way they did it in ancient times--he died the slower death of a thousand cuts.

Denial, it is said, is more than a river in Egypt. It's a way of life for many of us. And, when someone makes us face the cold, hard facts in any situation, how much easier it is to attack the messenger!

If Wills had not done his job, life would have gone on, Nixon would have served out his second term, people would have been less cynical about government, and the elite media would have far less influence. Indeed, things would have been a whole lot smoother.

So, if you needed a single person to blame for all the changes, blame Frank Wills. Naturally, much of this was subliminal, but the effect to him was the same as if he were attacked overtly. Who would want to hire this guy?

Breaking the veil of denial is dangerous. So many things are better left unsaid. Why cause trouble? Why stick your neck out?

Some years ago, my son was in a large youth soccer league. Each weekend, a busy snack bar took in hundreds of dollars, in payment for food items, many of which were donated. Yet, the league was always broke. And, the league commissioner, of relatively modest means, took frequent trips to Hawaii with his wife.

Dozens of people in the league were aware of this situation, but nothing was ever done about it.

As I was to find out later, many youth sports leagues are victims of extortion. In one case, involving over a million dollars, the perp fled to South America.

Persian rulers of a bygone era slew the messengers who told them of defeat, the Israelites killed their prophets, and government and corporate whistle-blowers are ostracized, if not fired. Anything to perpetuate the status quo.

For those who got rich off Watergate--and there were many--you can't name one who thought of helping Frank Wills. Far better to be in denial, forgetting that he even existed, thus maintaining the illusion that they themselves created the source of their wealth and fame.