Richard Jewell died yesterday. I hadn't thought about his story in years, but his death at the young age of 44 of heart problems, while suffering through diabetes and excruciating kidney problems, is an unfair end for the poster boy for unfairness. He was, you'll recall, the security guard who saved countless people from an explosion at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta before being accused of planting the bomb and suffering a 3-month trial by media. Television sets broadcast the raiding of his home. He was mocked as much for living with his mother as for his heavy frame. His collection of porn was seen as evidence of a disturbed mind. Actual doofus Jay Leno dubbed him the Una-Doofus. His mother was harassed. The story was that he had planted the bomb to have the chance to be the hero he actually was.
Let's not run past the fact that lives were saved because a security guard was ACTUALLY DOING HIS JOB and reacting to a suspicious package. Or the fact that he probably did get some pleasure out of his brief hero status before it was pulled out from under him. But do move on to the fact that just over ten years ago we lived through a crystal clear example of the purpose of the presumption of innocence and the need for media discretion and yet Guantanamo and Nancy Grace exist.
2 comments:
Hey sweet bloggeratti Mikey. Keep 'er up..I'll read yours if you read mine.
Yes, well said. there is a tendency indeed to collectively forget about the presumption of innocence and that is tragic and totally contatry to our heritage of western liberlaism.
I would, however, like to add that Senator Larry Craig is so evidently guilty......
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