"While the government can tell you that I am an innocent man, the government's letter cannot give me back my good name or my reputation"

This quote by Richard Jewell speaks with the power of reputation and the trouble of regaining it once it has actually been stained. Jewell was wrongly implicated of a crime and was later on exonerated by the federal government. Nevertheless, despite being declared innocent, his reputation was still damaged. Jewell is emphasizing that the federal government's letter of exoneration can not reverse the damage that has been done to his credibility. He is highlighting the reality that although the government can declare him innocent, it can not restore his good name or reputation. This quote talks to the power of reputation and the trouble of restoring it once it has actually been tarnished. It likewise functions as a suggestion that despite the fact that the federal government can declare somebody innocent, it can not reverse the damage that has been done to their reputation.