So the real truth has finally surfaced in the controversial case on the death of Martin Lee Anderson, the 14-year-old young man who lost his life while at the Bay County sheriff’s boot camp.
Viewing of the videotape of the incident obviously shows that Anderson died from the beatings suffered at the hands of camp guards, but it took a noted pathologist to solidify that sentiment. Dr. Michael Baden debunked the previous assertion that Anderson died from sickle cell-related symptoms – which the Bay County medical examiner stated – and confirmed Anderson actually died from the violence shown on the tape.
The question at hand is why are we, the public, constantly being hit with doctored, slanted or even false reports from officials in high positions when we already know the truth? Is it because they want to make themselves look good? Are we not able to handle the truth or something?
State congressional representatives seem to think so. Sens. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, and Rod Smith, D-Alachua, sponsored a bill that would bar the disclosure of photos or videos of a victim who is part of a criminal investigation. Included in the bill is the fact that anyone attempting to verify questionable information given by state officials by viewing the photos or videos could be charged with a third-degree felony.
This would have prohibited the initial release of the Anderson video, leaving us stuck with the false sickle cell reasoning as truth.
This ugly phenomenon of “storytelling” is nothing new. Weapons of mass destruction ring a bell? Or does the issue of lying about the presence of steroids in baseball cause you to go “hmmm?”
There’s no wonder the cliché “never trust anyone” was created in the first place.
Therefore, it is up to those in positions like Baden or even writers who are revealing the ills of Major League Baseball and its players to challenge even the minutest assertion given by officials.
But the real job is for the public to never trust anyone. The job is to consider what you’re being told and why. Because, if you don’t, they’ll start telling us the sky is green.
Would that open your eyes?
LeMont Calloway is a senior newspaper journalism student from Chicago. He can be reached at la_calloway@hotmail.com.