Posted on 08/03/2006 6:28:17 AM PDT by eyespysomething
Tuesday, August 1, 2006 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774
Governor Perdue Commends Richard Jewell
Governor asks Georgians to Remember Jewell as Hero
ATLANTA, Ga. – Today, during the 10-year anniversary of the 1996 Olympic Games, Governor Sonny Perdue recognized Richard Jewell for his service to Atlanta and the state of Georgia for spotting a suspicious backpack in Centennial Olympic Park and moving people out of harm’s way prior to the bomb explosion.
“The bottom line is this – Richard Jewell’s actions saved lives that day. He deserves to be remembered as a hero,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “As we look back on the success of the Olympics games and all they did to transform Atlanta, I encourage Georgians to remember the lives that were spared as a result of Richard Jewell’s actions.”
On July 27, 1996, a bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park, killing one person and injuring 111 others. Although Jewell identified the bomb and moved onlookers away, he was identified by media as a “focus” of the FBI’s investigation. Jewell was never arrested or charged with a crime, but the ensuing media frenzy forever affected him and his family. In 2005, Eric Rudolph pled guilty to the Olympic Park bombing.
Jewell, 43, now works as a sheriff’s deputy in Meriwether County. The text of the commendation presented to him by Governor Perdue is as follows:
WHEREAS: During the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, a bomb detonated killing one person and injuring 111 others. Many lives were spared due to the efforts of Richard Jewell, who spotted the suspicious backpack containing the bomb and took the necessary steps to have the area evacuated. For two days, the media praised him as a hero for his actions; and
WHEREAS: Three days after the bombing, his name was wrongfully leaked to the media as suspect. The Atlanta Journal Constitution published a story naming Mr. Jewell as a target in the FBI’s investigation into the bombing. A media frenzy ensued, and Mr. Jewell was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion; and
WHEREAS: For 88 days, the media continued to run stories about Richard Jewell as a suspect, forever altering his life and the lives of his family. Finally, the United States Justice Department issued a statement asserting that Mr. Jewell was not a target of the FBI’s investigation and that the leaking of his name had interfered with their investigation; and
WHEREAS: 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; now THEREFORE: I, SONNY PERDUE, Governor of the State of Georgia, do hereby commend
RICHARD JEWELL.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Executive Department to be affixed this first day of August, 2006.
(Signed Governor Sonny Perdue) August 1, 2006
I think stuff like this is so much window dressing, but Richard Jewell got a extreme raw deal back then by the AJC, when he did exactly what he was supposed to do, recognize an unusual situation and clear the area.
Post 9-11, anyone would do this, pre 9-11, not so much.
Yup- craptastical media work ruined a guy's life and no amount of recognition from the Governor will make it right.
I was in GA on vacation last week and read a newspaper innterview with Jewell in one of the papers there. I don't think I could be as forgiving of the MSM as he has been.
I think I'd have issues as well.
Good for Mr. Jewell!
I hope things are going well for him.
Yeah, but its the thought that counts.
His lawsuit against the AJC (Cox Communication I believe) is still pending.
I hate most of the media. Most of them give the small number that's actually good a black eye.
You're right, it was good of the Governor to do this. I'm just extremely cynical when it comes to politicians. Sometimes it's hard to turn off.
Apparently Jewell received some type of proclamation back in 1998, but they mailed it to him. ** rolling eyes **
Gov. Perdue thought the right thing to do was to publicly present him with an award. And he was right, it was the right thing to do.
Re your post #8 - I agree! :)
Worth repeating...
He's wrong on that point, it's what the left does in this country.
We lived in Atlanta at the time this all happened, and Mr. Jewell went from hero to goat overnight, and the Atlanta newspaper ruined his life and career with their smear tactics and implied he was guilty by associaton. Jewell sued quit a few of the MSM, and settled with most, but his lawsuit against the Atlanta Contitution continues. When this guy gets his day in court, and I hope it's soon, he will win a huge amount of money, and I hope the paper goes under trying to pay him. For our Governor to honor Mr. Jewell is wonderful, and I'm proud of him for doing so.
>>Apparently Jewell received some type of proclamation back in 1998, but they mailed it to him. ** rolling eyes **
That would have been under Zell's watch.
Yes, and Mr. Jewell is very gracious in the acceptance, and if it were me, I'd probably be a lot more visibly mad on the outside than he is at the whole media thing.
I, too, hope the AJC gets it stuck to them, for their unprofessional behavior during the whole incident and investigation.
Remeber how they stalked him outside his apartment? Sheesh.
I think it was from either the state senate or house.
God bless you, Richard Jewell.
Wow, WHEREAS: this and WHEREAS: that and... Couldn't the governor just have done it from the bottom of his heart and dispensed of all the stilted legalese?
Hooray, he has finally been reconized for the one good deed in his life.
You should do a little research on your hero.
He would never have been a security guard at the games had he not resigned from the Habersham Sherriff's office after trashing multiple cars in the line of duty.
Or losing his job as a rent a cop for Piedmont College in Demorest, GA. Seems he did not know the meaning of jurisdiction.
Or perhaps the Dekalb County incident "In Dekalb county Jewell had allegedly impersonated a police officer, which led to his pleading to a lesser charge".
Then of course he did his heroic act at the games.
Did this turn Richard Allenwortz Jewell into a better law enforcment officer?? Since the games he has been employed by at least 3 different agencies.
City of Jefferson , left after getting into a pissing contest with city council.
City of Pendergrass, "the town of 480 residents generated $490,574 in traffic citation revenue, with the net profit amounting to one-half of the town's entire budget and seven times the revenue generated from property tax receipts". I don't know why he left this little honey pot unless he wore out his welcome here too.
One heroic action does not a hero make.
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