Penn State's athletic director plus ex-Paterno assistant charged in child sex case

[wfgodot]

James Fallows, in The Atlantic, compares the situation with the recent travesty in Foshan China, in which 18 passersby did not help a two-year-old lying injured in the street:

The specifics of the moral choice for onlookers obviously differ: in China, it was a random assortment of people faced with an out-of-nowhere decision in a few seconds of real time. At Penn State, it was stewards of an organization convincing themselves to turn a blind eye over a period of years. But the results -- implicit decisions to distance oneself from responsibility for other people's suffering -- are similar. And while the Penn State case could be a trigger for larger concerns -- about bigtime sports culture, about the God-coach tradition of which Joe Paterno has been a main example, about unaccountable male-run hierarchies that seem to attract pederasts -- mainly we're reminded of human failings again. I tell myself that I would never have walked by an injured toddler -- or that I would never condone an episode like the one at Penn State quoted after the jump. But people who think of themselves as "good" did these things, which is mainly a sobering reminder of what we're all capable of. Mon semblable, mon frere.

more here: Moral Parallels: Foshan China, Penn State

 

[Velouria]

I understand that, which is why I say its a great idea on your part. Unfortunately, if I was in charge of a child abuse charity at the moment I would refuse to accept the money. That's a sad thing to say, but the institutionalised failure of Penn State administration taints any money from anyone in Penn State - alumni, students, employees, anyone - until some serious housecleaning has been done.

Well said, Capp!

IMO, they should start by doing any and everything they can to insure that Sandusky (as well as his aiders and abetters) go from Penn State to the State Pen!!:furious:

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Very stupid idea. His players are going to suffer the wrath of opposing crowds just because he's still there. He should retire today. JMO

Paterno has had a brilliant football career and I'll let him have a last hurrah. The season will be over in a month.

 

[believe09]

Paterno has had a brilliant football career and I'll let him have a last hurrah. The season will be over in a month.

I absolutely can see this perspective-I have a hard time recognizing the accomplishments without considering his moral compass however. FWIW.

What is getting me is the level of consent that is being implied about the child.

Sure these children are now adults. But they werent at the time. And this anal rape turned sexual situation turned inappropriate contact turned horseplay absolutely discounts the only person who did not have a choice in this equation.

I want to know how the children were lost when these men decided what actions to take. Paterno included.

 

[Cappuccino]

Paterno has had a brilliant football career and I'll let him have a last hurrah. The season will be over in a month.

My crystal ball tells me that month will not be spent receiving hurrahs off the crowds. If he had any sense - not to mention any shame - he would resign now.

 

[wfgodot]

Paterno has had a brilliant football career and I'll let him have a last hurrah. The season will be over in a month.

Well, a month, yes, three more games; and then a bowl game, adding almost another month.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Thank you for pointing this out-not one but two grown men witnessed "Jerry" raping two boys in separate incidents in a shower-and neither rushed to the child's aid. Neither grabbed the child and kicked the daylights out of the child's attacker.

Both of them were so badly shaken by the incidents that they repeatedly mentioned them...but not to anyone who counted apparently. But most of all, they let these boys be assaulted. Pretty much sealing the impression these boys already had-that Sandusky could act with impunity and that they were helpless to stop it.

Way to go.

From azwriter's post:



Sounds familiar.

I have the same sick in the stomach, disgusted, verge of tears feeling I had when Michael Jackson was accused for the THIRD time...and everyone covered...again imo

 

[Linda7NJ]

Paterno has had a brilliant football career and I'll let him have a last hurrah. The season will be over in a month.

Makes me want to vomit.

 

[wfgodot]

Paterno's statement; he just doesn't get it:

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 9, 2011 — I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.

 

[pinkfly]

Paterno's statement; he just doesn't get it:

I would love to see him offering to do something to help the victims or even do some community service as a gesture.

I suspect this is all lawyer controlled right now and anything more than this would be accepting some level of guilt publicly and his council won’t let him open that door.

 

[hornswoggled]

I would love to see him offering to do something to help the victims or even do some community service as a gesture.

I suspect this is all lawyer controlled right now and anything more than this would be accepting some level of guilt publicly and his council won’t let him open that door.

This man is old enough and close enough to meeting his Maker, that the time has come to stand on his own two feet, consequences be damned, and do the right thing. He missed the mark the first time around. Now he has a second chance to try and right this wrong and make a difference in the lives of victims he had a direct hand in creating.

If he is truly the man he has been made out to be all these years, he will know what to do. Every one of us knows right from wrong, no exceptions. Quite simply, the time has come to take a stand.

 

[wfgodot]

From last night's "pep rally" with PSU students on Paterno's lawn:

“And I want you!” Paterno said. “It’s hard for me to tell you how much this means to me. You guys have lived for this place. I’ve lived for people like you guys and girls. I’m just so happy to see that you feel so strongly about us and about our school. And as I said, I don’t know if you heard me or not, is, you know, the kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. It’s a tough life when people do certain things to you. But anyway, you've been great. You’ve been really great.”
---
Is he kidding? Did he just lead a pep rally on his lawn after all of this? Had he just said, “Whatever they want to say?” He had. They want to say rape, Joe. The victims want to say lives have been ruined. They want to say, to you I would imagine, “Why?” But the students around him would have none of it.
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more here: Chaos has engulfed Happy Valley (Bill Reiter, FoxSports)

 

[Cappuccino]

A pep rally for Paterno. Dear God! Where are their brains?

I hope that 10 year old who was raped in the showers isn't watching this, it will only discourage him further from coming forward.

 

[wfgodot]

Did Joe Paterno break the law?

Excellent look at the relevant legal issues - perjury and obstruction of justice; the Child Protective Services Law; negligence - by Michael McCann, a sports law professor writing for Sports Illustrated.

 

[pinkfly]

This man is old enough and close enough to meeting his Maker, that the time has come to stand on his own two feet, consequences be damned, and do the right thing. He missed the mark the first time around. Now he has a second chance to try and right this wrong and make a difference in the lives of victims he had a direct hand in creating.

If he is truly the man he has been made out to be all these years, he will know what to do. Every one of us knows right from wrong, no exceptions. Quite simply, the time has come to take a stand.

I totally agree as to what he should do. I was just offering up a possible reason that we won’t see ‘the right thing’ happen.

 

[MrsG728]

Like many of you, I am sad, angry, digsuted and sickened :sick: by the news. At first, I didnt think Paterno was involved at all. Then, i read the DA report That poor little boy (who is now a young man) has been forgotten by the media in the frenzy over Joe P. I am so sad.

 

[believe09]

Paterno's statement; he just doesn't get it:

I agree that he came to work every day for 61 years and worked on behalf of the best interests of the university. Fair statement, and no he does not get it.

Now I understand why the University does not want to cut him loose and have him handle this on his own, as another poster alluded to.

 

[believe09]

from wfgot's post:

you know, the kids who were victims or whatever they want to say, I think we all ought to say a prayer for them. It’s a tough life when people do certain things to you.

Wow. I mean wow.

 

[wfgodot]

Report: PSU may oust president Spanier today

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According to a report in The Express Times, Penn State president Graham Spanier's resignation or termination could be coming shortly. In the report a source close to the Penn State Board of Trustess said that Spanier will either resign or be voted out by the end of the day.
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According to another report in The Chronicle, Spanier's silence may not be by choice.

Per the paper, Spanier has been ordered to keep silent by the school's Board of Trustees: That may not be his choice, two individuals close to the administration told The Chronicle on Tuesday. He is following strict orders from the university's Board of Trustees not to talk.
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more at cbssports.com link above

 

[Betty P]

Paraphrasing a reader comment from one of the local news links: Your football team is not important. Your university is not important. The only important things in this situation are the victims of these sexual attacks. Their needs come first.

The way this was handled over the years makes me wonder if these kinds of sex crimes have long been a dirty little secret of college sports. Not to imply its been prevalent, but it makes you wonder if its happened in other sports programs at other colleges since the early days. The way this university dealt with the problem hints at a long established pattern of dealing with these situations, similar to the methods of the Catholic Church. Cover up, try to manage it internally, etc.

MOO