"It is the eternal struggle between these two principles - right and wrong - throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time." Abraham Lincoln.
Joe Paterno's statue is nothing more than a statue, a likeness of a man who tried to build a legacy around a football. In exchange for that legacy, he tried to build around that football he threw his moral obligations out the window, covered up, lied and turned away as young boys were being raped. He also let down the young men whom he coached by being silent about the abuse all the while pretending to be a great man. He could have been a legendary coach and human being just by picking up the phone and dialing 911.
PSU and Joe Paterno cannot be excused from any of the damage they have done to all the victims of Jerry Sandusky by their silence. Legendary women and men do extraordinary acts that others are not capable of doing. They change the course of history and humanity for the good. He took the easy way out, and that is not a legendary act. Those victims he refused to protect by not calling the police or children's services are much more heroic and will be remembered as true legends for all of mankind because of their courage to speak up and tell the truth about the horrific abuse they suffered. It takes a lot of courage speak of such horrible abuse.
To all the people who keep complaining, crying or even just can't believe that the statue they worshiped is now gone, wake up. It's a statue made of cold metal, much like the man who's likeness it took after.
Joe Paterno treated the victims of the Sandusky sexual abuse like they were not valued nor did he care how many times or how many victims Sandusky hurt as long as his statue stood in front of that stadium. Paterno had many opportunities to help those kids but, instead Paterno made a choice he turned away and ignored what he knew and what he heard from others.
Let us try to move forward and let us believe our children when they tell us an adult is doing terrible things to them. Every human being has an obligation to protect every child. There are no rules, no laws as was the excuse PSU, and Joe Paterno used to cover up and not call 911. The simplicity of his situation was simply this: He had a moral responsibility to pick up the telephone and call 911. Joe Paterno had many opportunities to report to the authorities what he knew about Jerry Sandusky. At the end of every PSU football game, Joe left the field flanked by the university police or maybe they were the Pennsylvania State Police. He could have even turned to the police who flanked him on both sides and ask to talk to them about Jerry Sandusky. I am sure many of those policeman who guarded him on game day knew him as a friend and would have listened to what he had to say about Jerry Sandusky. Did he ever tell them? We will never know.
Paterno had an obligation to protect any child being sexually or mentally abused if he had knowledge of the sexual abuse occurring, which he did.
Central Mountain High School let Victim No. 1 down by not believing him. Central Mountain High School allowed Sandusky to remove Victim No. 1 (in addition to other students) from his classroom without permission from his parent(s). Is Cental Mountain High School going to be held accountable for allowing this to happen? A wrestling coach walked in on Sandusky and Vicitim No. 1. I have to question the school's procedure for removing a child from class without having prior parental permission. At every turn, this young boy was turned away. His mother was told to go home and think about what she was reporting. Shame on Central Mountain High School for allowing this to happen and for not standing up for Victim No. 1.
The proof was in the removal of this young man from the classroom. What is being done about the actions or inactions at Central Mountain High School? I would be extremely reluctant to send any of my children to CMHS. Parents of Lock Haven I hope you find the courage to demand change and to get the answers you deserve as too how this was allowed to happen.
These victims are heroes. They were little boys. The adults in their life had let them down and allowed them to be raped. One of those adults was Paterno, forget about his statue. Let us instead focus on making the world a safer and better place for all children. Change is coming. I challenge you to be open to change for the good. I challenge the students at PSU and the administration to get behind the victims of Jerry Sandusky and support their healing. Can PSU and it's adminstration officials along with the Board of Trustees redeem it's self? Only time will tell. Let us hope they can do better for the victims of this terrible, heartbreaking tragedy.
