Well nice to be Judge, Jury and Executioner. Stop for a minute. Do any of you know what kind of environment Joe had to deal with in order to go about his job as a coach? As both a ‘Pennstater’ and one who lives here in SF, I am well aware that when something similar to this happens in the midst of Gomorrah everyone feigns shock and surprise, even though all along the environment fostered the inevitable outcome.
Get real America ! I am sure that Joe knew more than he would ever divulge but kept it to himself, based upon his Italian heritage and generation. He never dreamed about pursuing it beyond what he did, since vocalizing it further was simply hopeless in the happy valley environment.
The only person worse than a child molester is one who harbors a child molester.
And Joe harbored a child molester.
Then he should have resigned. Period.
“Well nice to be Judge, Jury and Executioner. Stop for a minute. Do any of you know what kind of environment Joe had to deal with in order to go about his job as a coach?”
It’s on record what Joe knew. A person with a moral compas would have done something or quit. I have a daughter in college, and 2 that recently graduated. If they’d been attending Penn State I would have made them transfer or quit. Penn State degree= first thought allowed pedophilia.
“Well nice to be Judge, Jury and Executioner. Stop for a minute. Do any of you know what kind of environment Joe had to deal with in order to go about his job as a coach?”
No, and neither do you. And yet you seek to defend the indefensible. The statue of Paterno should be pulled over just like the folks in Baghdad did the one of Sadam. Since you are a “Pennstater,” you should not have a place at the table telling us just “how tough” this was on good old Joe Pa and your “beloved institution.” Go find something else to watch on TV! Al Pacino had it about right in “The Scent of a Woman,” “someone should take a flamethrower to the place!”
So am I. His rotting corpse should be dug up, set on fire, and the remains fed to wild dogs. Penn State should be razed so that not a single building is left standing and the ground sown with salt.
I'm sorry, but the best that could be said about Joe's dealings with this issue is that in the moments that counted, he may have been too busy and possibly too naive to do what was right. That's the best possible light you can give to a horrible situation.
Unfortunately, the worst possible way to look at it is that Joe actually covered this up with the other top officials to keep Penn State's reputation (and money flow) intact.
The truth may well be in between these two, but even looking at it in the most favorable way is damning for Paterno. The likely reality is it is somewhere in between. The news from the Freeh report is saying the truth leans towards the worst case, and that doesn't say much for JoePa's judgment or character when it mattered for those kids.
I find it amazing the media (and the Freeh Report) isn't saying the obvious: That President Spanier was pro-gay, promised to make the most pro-gay environment in any university, and somehow the media is shocked that this man participated in a cover up of Sandusky's actions.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. Environment, race, heritage, age, reputation, money, etc. do not matter. None of that can ever make a wrong less of a wrong or be an excuse for not doing what is right. That smacks of liberalism.
Either a person has integrity and character to do what is right—no matter what,—or they don’t. Paterno didn’t - sad to say. He could have said something. He could have found another coaching job - there would have been dozens of offers. Instead, he chose his wrong over right. And he knew the choice he was making was wrong. That is obvious from what he said right before he died.
I used to like Penn State and Joe Paterno. I should have known that to be such a long time legend with such a long term success in this day and age came was bought with an awful price. Now we know what that price was. At least we know in part. I am sure there is much we don’t know.