Sunday 16 March 2014

Life Stories: Entry #1

Brian Banks: 

A Life Shattered, A Life Rebuilt


After coming across this article on the web, i had to write a blog and perhaps the longest one i've ever written as i found this to be incredible and inspiring.

This man is Brian Banks, a native from Long Beach, California. At that age of 16, he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he played as a linebacker for his High School American Football team with dreams of playing for the National Football League (NFL). With college recruiters watching him and offering scholarships, it seemed Brian Banks was on way to a promising future, that was until it was all taken away by one lie made by one person and that person goes by the name Wanetta Gibson.

Wanetta Gibson The "victim".

Wanetta was a student who attended the same high school as Brian Banks and one day she and Brian decided go to the stairwell and engaged in a making out session but it did not lead to sexual intercourse. Afterwards, they left on good terms as friends, but Wanetta made a false accusation of being kidnapped and raped by Brian Banks, and to make matters worst Brian was expelled and arrested on the charge of rape. Despite the lack of DNA evidence of the rape ever happened, Brian was still charged and his lawyer who was supposed to help prove his innocence, instead encouraged him to accept a plea bargain rather than going to court where he would likely to be sentenced to 40 years if found guilty because the jury and the judge would see him as a black man being seen as a criminal and the woman as the victim. In the end, Brian Banks was left with no other choice but to take the plea bargain at the cost of proving his innocence and was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 5 years on probation along with being registered as a sex offender. 

As for Wanetta Gibson, she and her mother Wanda received a settlement of $1.5m after filling a lawsuit against the school district claiming the environment was not safe because of a rape that did not happen at all. This means Wanetta created a lie that her mother went along with and conned the system out of over a million while at the same time destroying an innocent man's credibility, along opportunity of a college education and his dreams of being an NFL player, thus sending him to prison where he would live a life of despair.

I can only imagine that if i was in Brian's shoes, i would feel like the world was against me and i would be sacred, i would cry along with being depressed and suicidal, but at the same time i feel be angry, vengeful and bitterness towards that girl who ruined my life and the justice system for being so flawed and arguable biased. However, i would keep questioning myself on if i did anything wrong to deserve this or thinking to myself that i wouldn't be in this mess if i haven't made out with that girl. These would be the type of things i would ask myself i was in Brian's position, Yet Brian was able make use of the 5 years in prison by reading books to not only keep himself educated, but as an escape from this nightmare.

After spending 5 years in prison for "rape", Brian was released on parole for 5 years and registered as a sex offender and this all because of one boldface lie? Unbelievable, but this type of injustice is ongoing where innocent people wrongly imprisoned for a crime they did not even commit, let alone happen. Rape is an appalling crime and there's no denying that, but lie about it is just plain wrong and for an individual to be falsely accused of it? That is the worst thing in my opinion because when that happens, that person becomes public enemy number one as seen by the system, the media along with being judged as scum by people in society.

During those 5 years on probation, Brian Banks was still identified as a criminal, a "rapist" in the eyes of the system where he would be electronically tagged and his chance to start a normal life was slim as he was not only a prisoner in his own hometown, but as a prisoner in his own life, a life that was his to control. Those times must have been difficult, yet sad because he could not get a job, let alone walk around the streets without people judging him and viewing him as a danger to society as a sexual predator who's on his next prowl without knowing of his innocence. Right know, Brian Banks' dream wasn't about play for the NFL anymore, it was Freedom. 

Life continued to be bleak for Brian Banks that was until a one day, he was on facebook and a friend request was sent to him by the very person who told the very lie that changed everything: Wanetta Gibson. At first, Brian was shocked and understandably angry at the very face who ruined is life now wants to be added as his friend. If that was me, i too would be shocked and say what the F***!!! then i'll express my resentment, my sorrow while asking why did you do it? 

But for Brian Banks, he wrote back to Wanetta with this Response: "Why would you friend request me?" Wanetta Replies: "I figured you and i let bygones be bygones. I was immature then, but I'm much more mature now". Right there, I was thinking: Damn right you was immature for making a lie like that and here i thought women we're supposed to be more mature than men as they mature faster, right. 

At this moment, Brian believe this was the "one in a lifetime" opportunity to get the truth out of Wanetta and to prove his innocence once and for all and he arranged a meeting with her for that very reason. During that time, Brian felt his dream of being a Pro NFL player had been reignited and believed that if he can get the truth, he could start following his dream which should have been fulfilled years ago if it had not been for the deceitful act of one person. 

In the present, Wanetta has squandered all that money that she conned out of the system for her lies and now she is a single mother with kids and i think that because she had no money, she thought that she could try to get Brian to forgive her just so she could avoid facing accountability for her actions if Brian ever wanted to press charges on her for her lies.

When it was time for the meeting, the two meet face to face and started a conversation where Wanetta admitted that Brian Banks never kidnapped and raped her as it was all a lie. Brian then asked her if she could help clear his name, however as much as Wanetta would like to, all she cared about was having to pay back the whole $1.5m that she received for that one lie that she made up. Really, money was her only concern after all the grief and despair that an innocent man went through because of her lies. Typical, Like the saying goes: "don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". Women like them never learn.
"Willing to come clean, but not to dry"
But little did Wanetta Gibson know, Brian hired a private investigator and secretly recored the whole conversation, including the false rape accusation and Wanetta's reluctance to clear his name. The prove of his innocence was guaranteed and the next day, Brian took his case to the innocence project attorneys, who then proceed to court where the prosecutors overruled his conviction. This is where the exoneration of Brian Banks begins as the truth finally comes to light and first thing Brian Banks did was to break down in tears as the eternal nightmare has finally reached an end.



After that event the first thing he did was was to remove the electronic tag, the last shackle that restricted him to a life of adversity and despair, but all Brian wanted to do was to play football again and to prove that he still got what it takes to become a pro NFL player. The first he did was go back to gym and train hard to get back into fitness, although having not been played football for 10 years, let alone being out of shape is a handicap by a huge margin and the chance of being a Pro NFL player was a longshot, but Brian was still determined to prove otherwise. 

Through a series of rejections from training camps of national football teams, in the summer of 2012, Brian was offered a try out for the Seattle Seahawks by head coach Pete Carroll, who at the time was coach for the University of Southern California (USC) had offered Brian a scholarship while he was at high school in 2002. After hearing Brian's story, Coach Pete Carroll decided to give him a chance because he believes in second chances and felt this was the opportunity that should have been for Brian. 

Reunited at last (With Coach Carroll)
With the gratitude of a second chance, Brian Banks was motivated more than ever and trained hard and long as this was the make or break opportunity for him to impress everyone at the training camp, even with Pete Carroll having 100% confidence in him. Although displaying an impressive performance, Brian did not make the cut as 10 years without playing football did have an impact on his athletic ability, yet he still refuse to let that determine him.

In September 2012 Brian got another chance at pro football where he signed for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League (UFL) where he played two games and made at least one impressive tackle despite his 10 years of inexperience. However, the  Locomotives season was suspended in October 2012 and Brian was released, still the ambitious flame of Brian Banks had not yet been extinguished, in fact it only grew bigger as he was more determined to train hard and to never give up as he still had something to prove. 

On April 2013, The Atlanta Falcons, one of the most prominent and professional teams in the state wanted to sign Brian Banks as their linebacker and at last he is given the reward that he not only earned but deserved as it showed that with hard work and determination along with a strong mindset, anyone can reach their goals and achieve their dreams. After signing on with the Falcons, Brian is ready to make his mark as an legend on his preseason debut on the field where everyone at the stadium were looking forward to see him in action and rooting for him to succeed as his story was touching them and inspiring. I must admit, i was there i would bee rooting for him as well and would be so jealous of the people who watched his preseason debut.



Although he made an impressive performance on his debut, unfortunately Brian did not make the cut and therefore was released by the falcons. This was heartbreaking news for everyone who heard of his story had hoped that he would be a pro as his story was inspiring and felt that everything he went through was all in vain. If it had not been for a biased system and one lie from a poor excuse of a human being, Brian would have made it as a pro and all the potential was wasted and it was a really shame too. I would be unforgiving towards Wanetta Gibson for that terrible and deceitful act that she did, but Brian should his display of character and forgave her something that is too good for her. 

A pro to the very end.

This showed that Brian Banks is a bigger man than any of us, especially me as we would be forever filled with bitterness as he believed that remaining bitter, he would waste his energy and not using that energy to find new opportunities.

As he experienced what life was like as being falsely accused of a crime he did not commit, Brian Banks became a spokesman for the innocence project to help others who are in a similar situation and this was his new dream: Freedom, which is the greatest gift that anyone takes for granted. Now at the age of 27, he continues with his determination to help those who are wrongly accused and imprisoned and since his story as a falsely accused rapist to a professional NFL player was so inspiring, there is going to be a movie deal based on his life and i personally cannot wait for this to happen. 

As for Wanetta Gibson, there is a lawsuit demanding her to pay back all the money, personally i want her to be charged for defamation of character as making false accusations of rape is not only damaging to the accused, but it is an insult to real rape victims both men and women. I also cannot believe the state let this devious and conniving con the system out of $1.5m and refuse to press any charges. Unbelievable, don't have any shame? I guess not but we should realise that life is not fair and never will be, but by following Brian Banks' example, we should move on to the better things. 

This proves how a single lie can a change the game and what i mean by game is how life: a game where sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. A single has changed Brian Banks' life in more ways than one, usually for the bad, but it is surprisingly for the better because his story is now known by everyone, including including celebrities as it is incredible, yet inspiring.

On the tonight show with Jay Leno
We now have to opportunity to take a long good look about the consequences of false rape accusations and how affects individuals along with raising awareness of the issue and for people to have a second guess about those who are falsely accused with the possibility. Brian Banks' story has inspired me to realise that no matter how bad life can be, we should never give up on achieving our goals and never let obstacles get in the way of our dreams and to survive long enough to see it through and to remain hopeful for better things to come. 

"The future is bright for Brian Banks"

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