Paterno

Rarely do I recycle comments I leave elsewhere.  This comment however pretty much sums things up:

PSU [Penn State University] got what they paid for. Heaven forbid one of these reports ever just say people did what they thought was best with the information they had. Instead we have to pretend that PSU could have prevented child abuse, a rather absurd idea in practice as opposed to the mere ideal of wanting to prevent it. These reports [a reference to the Freeh Report] are necessary though, because they signal we have overcome our past sins, a baptism if you will. Perhaps PSU can even put up signs signaling that they are a pedophilia free zone so as to really emphasize how far they have come. It is all nonsense, but that is social panic for you.

Now the university has chosen to remove the statute erected in Paterno's honor. It unfortunately perpetuates this belief Joe Paterno was instrumental in Sandusky's sexual abuse of boys.  Paterno of course admitted a desire to have done more had he known more, as would all of us.  That isn't enough for the people posing for holy pictures.

With Paterno, everything is evidence of his complicity.  If Paterno talks to school officials and follows up with them, it is evidence that he is trying to cover up the matter.  If Paterno leaves other officials to do their work after reporting his conversation, it is evidence of his callous disregard for the victims.  One of the cases end up in the local prosecutor's lap and he declines prosecution, yet Paterno gets to be the one who clearly didn't exercise his power - whatever that power was off the field - prudently.  His choices for whatever reason are the lynch pin in this whole saga.

One of the more disturbing things about the present generation in power is their callousness to truth and principle.  It is a generation that cares solely about outcome and only the immediate outcome at that.  Their actions will invariably result in more sexual abuse cases being covered up.  The first reason is that the person they know is always the exception to their outcome based philosophy, e.g. the welfare queen is always someone a person doesn't know.  Therefore they will be hesitant to see the perpetrator face the full wrath for what they will invariably consider a misunderstanding or mistake.  The second reason is that people of action have a tendency to get into trouble whereas people who keep their mouth shut don't.  McQueary's life would be a thousand times better today if he hadn't confessed to seeing what he saw in that locker room.  This case has reinforced that.