Consider
the importance of perception. Richard Jewell, a security officer stationed in
during the 1996
Olympics, discovered a pipe bomb at a crowded downtown venue. He notified
police and helped evacuate the area, saving lives. But Jewell became a suspect for the bombing.
Later, he was exonerated when Eric Rudolph confessed to the bombing. For both
Richard Jewell and the public, perception was reality, and the impact on those
involved was very real. Eventually, when the truth surfaced and the facts were
told, perceptions were realigned to fit the new reality.