Posted on 11/15/2011 6:21:13 AM PST by Kaslin
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno released a statement on Wednesday in which he said, "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more." How lame is that, Coach?
Would you have accepted that excuse from one of your players? "With the benefit of hindsight, Coach, I wish I had run the route we rehearsed a thousand times in practice." See how stupid that sounds? It doesn't take "hindsight" to know that when some monster is raping children in your locker room, you call the police.
Coach, you knew back in 2002 that Jerry Sandusky had anally raped a ten-year-old boy in the Lasch Football Building. You handled the matter quietly with your athletic director, Tim Curley. You took away the rapist's keys and barred him from the facility -- but you didn't call the police. You didn't lift a finger to help the victim. No hindsight needed, Coach. You screwed up.
Yes, we all know about your 61-year career at Penn State. But when you allow children to be victimized right under your nose, you wipe out 61 years of achievement. The Jerry Sandusky scandal is your legacy now.
This scandal has also indelibly stained the reputation of The Second Mile, the charity Jerry Sandusky founded in 1977 as a foster-care program for at-risk kids. Turns out the kids were most at-risk from Sandusky himself.
The Second Mile was one of George Bush Sr.'s Thousand Points of Light and probably did some good work. But the grand jury says Sandusky met his victims through The Second Mile. So even if the program survives this scandal, it will always be remembered as Jerry Sandusky's private sandbox for recruiting rape victims.
As for the child rapist himself (do I have to say "alleged," given what we know?), you have to stand amazed at his gall. He actually had the brass to title his autobiography "Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story." What is that, the punchline of a sick joke?
I don't want to hear any more "benefit of hindsight" excuses. So let's be clear about what you should do if you learn that a child is being sexually abused. Print this out, post it on your bulletin board, and make sure everyone in your family, company, or organization knows how to respond to child sexual abuse.
1. If you see an act of child abuse in progress, step in and STOP IT. I have to wonder why the grad assistant who witnessed the rape felt he only had to report it to someone. Why didn't he jump in, knock Sandusky on his butt, and protect the child? If you see a child being raped by an adult, please have the guts and good sense to intervene.
2. If a child tells you he or she is being abused, don't panic, don't act shocked. Make sure the child feels supported and protected. Say, "You did the right thing in telling me."
3. Believe the child. Even if the offender is "good old Uncle Charlie," tell the child, "I believe you." It takes courage for kids to speak up because they fear they won't be believed. Kids need to know you're on their side, and they almost never imagine sex acts unless they've experienced them.
4. Tell the child that he or she is not bad. Say, "He knew better; you didn't know. We'll make sure he can't touch you again."
5. Focus on the child's needs. Don't think about the reputation of any individual or organization. The moment you shift your focus off of what's best for the child, you're on the wrong side of the issue.
We as a people need to stop protecting our institutions over our children; whether it is the church, the university, or the institution of the family it is time for us to put our children first not last.
6. Don't confront the offender in front of the child. Keep adult discussions away from the child. Kids need to feel protected. They don't need to be upset, disturbed, and frightened.
7. Report the crime to the police. Law enforcement agencies in your area have trained investigators who will talk with you and the child, and who know exactly how best to handle the situation.
And don't you dare tell me that you don't have the heart to have "good old Uncle Charlie" arrested. If Uncle Charlie is molesting a child, protect that child!
I've heard too many horror stories of people who protected "good old Uncle Charlie" or "good old Coach Sandusky" instead of protecting children. You must have absolute moral clarity: Child molesters belong in jail where they can't hurt children. If you don't call the police, then you are an accomplice and no better than a molester yourself.
8. If the molester is a member of the clergy, DO NOT report the abuse to church officials. If the molester is a coach or teacher, DO NOT report the abuse to the school authorities. Some churches and organizations worry more about lawsuits and bad publicity than about kids. Just call the police.
9. Don't call Child Protective Services -- investigating crimes is not the function of CPS. If the police determine that CPS should be involved, they will make that decision.
Don't let the predator talk you out calling the police. Most predators are amazingly persuasive -- that's how they entice their victims, and that's how they get people to cover for them instead of reporting them. Don't be taken in by a charming predator.
10. After you call the police, call the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4ACHILD (1-800-422-4453). The ChildHelp counselor will listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and direct you to local support services for the child.
Finally, don't you ever use the "benefit of hindsight" excuse! I've armed you with the foresight to do the right thing to protect a child—and that child is counting on you.
This is a wonderful post, Kaslin. Thanks!
I wonder if Sandusky is part of a ‘ring’ of like-minded animals (like NAMBLA members maybe?)
It would explain how he got away with so much for so long
Normal people already know these common sense things, such as when you witness a child being raped, you intervene to the best of your physical ability to stop it.
I'm 66 years old but if I see a man twice my size and half my age raping a child, I will attack him with anything available.
"9. Don't call Child Protective Services -- investigating crimes is not the function of CPS. If the police determine that CPS should be involved, they will make that decision. "
CPS is there to protect mothers and children from evil fathers- no matter how little evil he actually exhibits or how much the mother exhibits
Good post. “Keep the focus on the child..” Absolutely.
Bravo! to attempting to fix the problem instead of beating the proverbial dead horse of accusations.
When you are an eyewitness to a child being sodomized by an adult:
1) Pull out your firearm.
2) Kill the SOB where he stands.
3) Claim ignorance on how the sharpened screwdriver got in his hand and how it matches none of the brand new tools in your garage.
4) Claim self defense. (Its obvious that the pevert didn't want to be "outed" so he tried to kill you, right? RIGHT?!)
Enjoy the rest of your day and let your lawyer do the rest of the talking.
“Don’t call Child Protective Services — investigating crimes is not the function of CPS. If the police determine that CPS should be involved, they will make that decision.”
I was listening to the Mike Smerconish show last night and Bo Biden, the attorney general of DE, said that their law specifies that people are to report child abuse to CPS rather than the police because CPS knows how to investigate these crimes. If CPS feels a crime has been committed, they will inform the police.
Apparently several states have these laws.
1. If you see a child being raped, pick up a pipe and beat the living sh-t out of the rapist.
2. If the rapist is still breathing, repeat step number 1.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.
Stop the abuse; call the police (not CPS); it is a crime; let the police decide which other agencies to get involved.
Absolutely idiotic column. First of all, like nearly every sanctimonious scavenger with an opinion on this, they’re attacking the wrong people. Joe DID contact the police - Schultz was the police commissioner. Joe DID put the witness in touch with them because Joe didn’t KNOW anything other than what he was told. He wouldn’t be able to testify. Paterno didn’t take away his keys either - the University did. Paterno doesn’t have power over ex-employees. All of these columns start with the false premise that Paterno not only knew everything but controlled everything.
Also, you do NOT under any circumstances EVER approach the subject of an investigation. This is when guilty parties disappear. Many well-meaning people have ruined investigations by approaching the suspect. These people are advocating something that actually would allow the alleged rapist to continue elsewhere.
I was going to post virtually the same thing. #3 would be find anyone who enabled it and beat the $#!+ out of them.
The one thing is don’t agree with is “don’t call Child Protective Services.”
Yes, DO call Child Protective Services. All too often the po po agrees with the institution. And Child Protective Services are the ones that can properly conduct the forensic interview of the child to preserve and not taint the evidence, unlike the interviewers at the police dept. Other than that, yes, good article.
What a superb article by Michael Reagan. Sadly, some here who have sipped the Paterno Kool-Aid will claim that the “media” is being unfair to Saint Joe.
Joe is not even a good guy, as much as a saint.
Are you serious? “Kick” the worm while he’s “down”? You mean just because he ran a successful sports program he should be excused for letting children’s lives be ruined?
You have a serious problem.
Ditto... saved me the typing.
It does not appear to be in the United States, but in Nazi Germany. I feel sorry for the people of the State of Delaware.
To all heterosexuals that have defended the perversion of homosexuality. The victims of Penn State sex scandal. Thank you!
How does coach Joe Paterno report a perverted homosexual. Without being labeled homophobic?
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