In what way is it fair and honest? To me, it's a thinly veiled defence of Joepa and Penn state. Everyone needs to talk about this coverup and be angry about it.
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I can sympathize with the outrage of the students who ran to protect their icon, their God – it made sense to me, even if it seemed misguided. What did anyone expect? This myth of Jo Pa wasn’t built in a day and people were wholly invested in it in a huge way. I saw it with my own eyes. Shit! I even started to get swept up in it, even while I was aware of the construction in all my haughty cynicism. And, honestly, I think part of the outrage of Penn Staters comes from that awareness, too. As people suggest that Paterno should behave like the God we claim he is, students were saying: he is not a god, he is a man, and he failed like one. But a real conversation about what really happened and what should happen now was wholly shut down.
I blame the press for misguiding the direction of this conversation – for making this about the icon of Joe Paterno rather than the systematic abuse of young boys and the failings of a system to handle the case appropriately. Instead, in a need for sensation, the press and those on social media outlets rallied against our icon because that was the sexiest headline. And, of course, the student body reacted with violent defensiveness. Real communication, real consideration for how Joe Paterno failed was never allowed to happen. These kids – this community – was never allowed to consider what this all really meant because everyone had to sexy up this story with a celebrity and his myth because, what fun would it be to destroy that narrative so thoroughly for the sake of greedy readers. It made for good television.
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Well, I hope that everyone has fully enjoyed watching this spectacle from the outside – that your morbid curiosity and insatiable desire for public scandal has been thoroughly fed. I’m sure that it will disappear from your consciousness as soon as another sexy headline comes along to feed your addictions. But it won’t disappear for us here at Penn State. The identity of this university has been utterly ruined and for all the wrong reasons. The real issues have been thoroughly buried. And now, we don’t have healthy discourse on our hands, we have anger and frustration and camps of “Gotta Go Joe!” and “Stay Joe!” Now, we have an image problem that has occluded the real issue: that a man allegedly raped little boys and that an administration made aware of this fact failed to respond appropriately, making it possible for him to continue. Now we have some perverse narrative about a fallen God and a university that allowed little boys to be raped because our football team was more important.
I beg of all of you, help get the conversation back on track. Subdue the violence and vitriol. Encourage good conversation and help each other avoid generalizations. Find the facts and use them. Use this as a chance to make a better world – a world where we can talk openly and critically and peacefully. Anything but this.
11 comments
When the title of your piece has Joepa's name in it , followed by three pages dedicated to Joe and Penn, its very hypocritical of you to ask ppl to stop talking about him and feel for the victims. A very self-serving piece, since you go to Penn state and have friends there.
I agree with Lifeonthe 1, I've read tons of articles on this and not one mentioned what your Dad heard. Talk about exaggerating your story to push your point home. Most articles report what was published in the grand jury report so they're simply reporting the findings of that investigation, which they're entitled to do.You say think of the victims but the majority of your piece is about poor Penn State and the downfall of your precious icon as you still call him (and obviously still regard him). I say bring on the media and reveal the scumbags for what they truly are. I'm sure the victims want everyone to know what they had to endure and who allowed it to happen.
This is the fairest and most honest look at this issue I have read so far. Thank you for reporting an honest un-speculative story.
As a Penn State undergrad student myself, I very much appreciate this article. This is why we as Penn State students are so upset, we all feel that the media has intervened too much in this issue and has made it worse for everyone involved.
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Sandusky should have waited until the boys turned 18 and then entered into a LEGAL civil union with them. Then he would have been embraced by the obama pro-homosexual administration, the public education system, the ACLU and the LGTB wackos. Rights liberals? All would have been status quo for you yellow snakes then??
1) it's not the media's fault that your dad thought it was a 20 person audience for a child rape. No media even came close to suggesting this. Your dad clearly did not pay enough attention to the story.
2). JoePa is the institution of Penn State. He was able to get the vast majority of 150+ football player charges from 2002-8 reduced or dismissed. That shows his institutional power & influence over the administration & the police.
3). Fuck JoePa, which is to say Fuck Penn State.
Exactly - JoePa successfully dodged multiple calls from decision-makers at Penn State for him to retire years ago, therefore, he actually has influence over those decision-makers, and not just because they hold him to "mythically" high moral standards.
Also, it's easy for someone to see headlines and hear talk about JoePa and assume that he is the criminal. But if everyone were to actually thoroughly read the news reports, they would see that Sandusky was actually the one who molested the boys. I can't recall reading a story about JoePa that didn't include the caveat, "...after allegations that Sandusky did such and such."
The problem is that you are sinking to the level of the "misguided" students by saying "f*** JoePa." I bet you would complain if you saw the students' comments on some JoePa stories - comments that blindly defend JoePa without acknowledging his wrongdoing. To Penn State fans, your expletive use probably makes you look just as bad.
This article pretty much sums up the words, I had so much difficulty in trying to convey to friends and colleagues whom I had to argue, defend against, and face this past week, as an Alumni of Penn State. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this, your wisdom and word's, are inspiring.
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