Wednesday, August 29, 2007

RICHARD JEWELL (1962-2007): It's a bit afield from our normal turf, but I did want to note the passing today of Richard Jewell, a man mostly remembered for an awful rumor which was never true, and which tore his life apart.

Instead, let us remember him as the man Georgia's Governor honored in 2006, ten years after the Olympic bombing, a private security guard who spotted a suspicious backpack, moved people out of the way, and saved lives: "Mr. Jewell deserves to be remembered as a hero for the actions he performed during the Centennial Olympic Games. He is a model citizen, and the State of Georgia thanks him for his long-standing commitment to law enforcement, both as a security guard during the Olympics and as a sheriff’s deputy in Meriwether County today."

A decade later, when it's even easier for a private figure to become a household name through the rapid delivery and publication system which is the Internet, we should remember Richard Jewell's story and be humble, and be sure, before hitting that 'publish' button.

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