On the TunneySide of Sports May 27, 2019 #745 Memorial Day 2019
After further review… General John A. Logan of Civil War vintage founded what was then called Decoration Day, later to be termed as we know it, Memorial Day. It was and technically still is a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live a life of freedom. It’s a national holiday on the last Monday in May, but it has become a day to barbeque hamburgers at the beach or at the park. For some, it starts on Friday for a 4-day holiday!
We tend to forget what got us to this 4-day-vacation but often treat it as if it were an entitlement. Some may lower the American flag to half-staff or take a flag to the grave site of a relative or friend or, perhaps, stand at curbside waving a flag at a parade. The question remains are we doing something in our daily lives to be grateful for our freedom as well as doing something to provide that for all Americans?
If you’ve ever been “locked-up,” you’ll know what freedom-taken-away from you means. Here’s a true story about a southern California 16-year old young athlete who was falsely accused of dragging his female classmate into the school’s stairwell and forcibly having sex with her. Faced with the possibility of a 40 years-to-life sentence, he was persuaded by his lawyer to accept a plea deal that put him behind bars for 62 months — to be followed by five years’ probation.
He was a promising football player who had a scholarship waiting for him at the University of Southern California and a realistic dream of playing in the National Football League. That’s difficult to do, if, for the rest of your life, you would live as a registered sex offender and branded with an electronic monitor.
The female victim’s family sued the school district and won a $1.5 million dollar settlement. When he was freed, the victim “friended” him on Facebook and said she made up the rape charge and admitted the sex was consensual. The school district was able to recoup the money. But that’s not the point. His freedom was wrongly taken away.
The inspirational true story of Brian Banks, high school All-American, will be a movie directed by Tom Shadyac scheduled for an August 2019 release. Be sure to see it.
Will you enjoy this Memorial Day with the freedoms that have been granted to you?
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