Is that what he said? Excuse the pun -- or shall I say STUN -- but that is exactly what was seen, the hind end of an adult sodomizing a child and now Coach Paterno is trying to say that in hindsight he would have done things differently. This is not some zeitgeist obsession, some starlet's misadventures; or some pop star's death-bed being sold by cheesy profiteers; or some stupid slur that causes a new Oscar host; or a dumbstruck moment live in a debate by a presidential wannabe. We are talking about the alleged rape of a 10-year-old boy in the shower that was basically ignored by a group of greedy men wanting to protect the Church, I mean, College.
I have read what is being reported and if these allegations are true then the abuse and sexual attacks on needy young men, reaching out for help from an institution designed to help them and their getting sodomized in the shower in return is a stain on Penn State, its administration, the coaches, its campus police department and of course the very person inflicting this horrific damage, Jerry Sandusky. The protection of these men and their jobs is as shocking as the scandal in the Catholic Church, the silence and secrecy and payouts. They should all come clean and beg forgiveness for the damage inflicted on these young men, their families, the students at Penn State and the world as a whole.
"If I knew then what I know now" doesn't count here. There is no excuse. There are no words. There is no apology. Just tell the truth. The truth is what we all want and they should all spend the rest of their lives working on behalf of the victims and their recovery.
This is a disgrace.
Kelly Cogswell: After Sandusky, Back to Being Pedophiles
Danny Groner: The Fall of False God Joe Paterno at Penn State
If Joe Paterno in hindsight understands he “should have done more”, now is his time to prove it. If Penn state wants “to do the right thing” now is the time to prove it. If Mike McQueary was at the time overwhelmed with the details in hindsight now is the time for courage and truth telling.
What we see them do instead is posture to evade liability as they did over 15 years regarding Sandusky. The university and Paterno are dodging the possibility of civil damages and McQueary is set to reframe his answers to the grand jury. The story is set to wash and repeat they’ll do just enough to produce no real results then when the fallout manifests 15 years later they’ll claim in hindsight “I should have done more”.
It feels like there are two types of boys, the boys of Penn state and the boys of the second mile. The first are winners and the second are fodder for Sandusky. The first have a voice and the second have been silenced for years because Penn state did not do the right thing when it mattered.
To the extent that some method most apply to know that you are dead wrong, yes it does apply.
But looking back, from the perspective of Joe Paterno, this was his shop. These guys were his team. This was his watch. If he never saw a child on that campus matters not. It was his watch. The buck lands on his desk. In an instant of denial, he invalidated any game he ever won as though he had cheated. Any praise he ever earn through obvious hard work, brains and raw will is negated. I speak not as a father, but as a Dad and as a man. Any rape, harrassment or abuse must first be immediately stopped, then reported, then finally punished. But first stopped. By letting it happen, he lost the capability to be trusted or to lead anyone onto a sports field or anywhere else. Hindsight, be damned. Open your eyes!
On highway road crew, in chains and orange overalls!
Name: RODNEY ALLEN ERICKSON
E-mail: president@psu.edu or pres@psu.edu
Address: 0201 OLD MAIN UNIVERSITY PARK
Telephone Number: +1 814 865 2505
In Canada (in Manitoba where I'm from for sure), the native indian bands now control child welfare on the reserves, and several kids have died from lack of accountability, corruption.. small communities where abusers are covered up for, kids returned to horrible family situations.
I'm praying for all the suffering kids out there tonite. We need to have an OccupyPennState or OccupyChildWelfare offices!
Someone has the nerve...the courage to speak plain.
I cannot bring myself to read the report....just thinking about the pain and the fear those children ...any abused child...endures is to much for me. I have a very vivid imagination.
I imagine the surprise the child may have felt at first and then the fear...and then the pain.
Did he know someone had walked in on this crime...did he dare hope for a moment that someone would help him?
I can't write this without crying.
Many years ago I was surprised by a relative in an attempted rape...when I looked up and saw him coming towards me, I thought, I am going to die...I was about 8 years old...I still remember the ugly look on his face and the smell of his body.
I was fortunate. Someone did interrupt us before he could begin but I have had my whole life changed because of that one experience.
So I have a pretty good sense of the fear the child experienced.
I have a feeling many who are reading your post have had similar experiences
.
Children have no rights unless they are backed up by responsible adults.
Any one involved in this and other cases like this should hang their heads and yes, beg forgiveness for the cowardly acts...by the rapist...by those who observed and did nothing!
Statistics prove (and don't get me wrong here... individually NONE of us are a single statistic) that once a child is sexually abused, the tendency is for them to continue the abuse... it thwarts the child's mind making sexual abuse an open door.
Sandusky was more than likely abused - no one's even looked into that. I'm sure no one cares...but if he was, it was just be more statistical evidence that the abused typically turn and do it too. Which would mean these boys that Sandusky raped MAY in fact turn to do the very same thing...
The whole story is disgusting. How any grown man (28yo) could witness this act and not 'lose his mind' long enough to rip Sandusky to shreds (yes while naked and wet in the shower) is beyond me. Can you imagine being a person who does nothing (but tell dad) after witnessing that? No you can't! You know why? Because your moral compass works.