A real, legitimate American hero, Richard Jewell, who was credited will saving dozens of lives at the 1996 Olympic bombing, died at 44.
The bums at the Atlanta Journal-Consitution, in an unattributed report at the time, said Jewell was the "focus" of the investigation. Other media joined the hatchet job against Jewell as well. While Jewell was questioned and had some search warrants exercised against him, he was never charged or arrested. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution never settled a lawsuit filed against it by Jewell.
Jewell was in reality a hero, as he discovered a suspicious backpack and proceeded to get people out of harms way just before the bomb set by extremist Eric Rudolph. The blast killed one and injured 111.
“Richard ran all the way up and down the four stories of the tower and evacuated everybody, it must have been between 40 and 50 people. Seconds later the thing exploded,” said Bruce Rodgers, president of Tribe Inc and designer of the AT&T Global Village, where the explosion happened.
The eventual media feeding frenzy surrounding the investigation by the FBI totally blurred the heroic efforts of Jewell and the lives he saved.
How the media killed Jewell wasn't physically, but they killed his reputation and the tremendous deed he did for his fellow citizens. Ironically, the lives Jewell saved were primarily technical media staff working on the Olympic coverage. They had a nice way of thanking him.
What's even worse about it, is the story could never be truly turned around because of the legal and public relations nightmare it created. The media wasn't going to say Jewell was the hero he was because it would be damning to them, as it should be.
Richard Jewell and his saving of innocent lives has now been hidden behind the thirst to sell newspapers and draw media coverage no matter what the cost, as people have forgotten the day when a heroic man risked his own life to save others.
To this day the Atlanta Journal-Constitution continues to justify its attack on this American hero.
I am extremely amazed that of all those people who witnessed this man running up and down trying to get them away from the "bag", not one would come forward to say, let me tell you the real story because I was there. If it were me and I know that my life was in some way saved by this man, irregardless of which media outlet didn't want to tell the truth, it would be my main focus in life to call every radio station, write on every blog, do whatever it takes to get the truth out. It is not too late and all those folks out there who are alive today or injury free because of what this man did, has a responsibility to let the truth be known. It is our duty as human beings to do the right thing. Right now, this seems like an awful shame.
Posted by: nerakami | August 30, 2007 10:51 AM | Permalink to Comment