Joe, Say it isn't So!

This past week, the week of November 6, 2011, the world of sports was shaken to its core as a grand jury indictment was released indicting Jerry Sandusky, the long term assistant coach at Pennsylvania State University, for multiple counts of child sexual abuse.  Besides the grizzly details of what Sandusky is alleged to have done against multiple small boys, the national bombshell exploded over the fact that his behavior HAD BEEN reported to Joe Paterno, the head coach of PSU, as early as 2002, and nothing was ever done to stop Sandusky's predatory behavior. Sandusky is now out on bail, and Coach Paterno was fired as head coach of PSU, a position he held over forty-six years.
Mountains of commentary, media reporting, and student demonstrations have expressed every spectrum of thought about this tragedy.  The best piece I have read on the subject was written by Phil Taylor entitled, "Pity the Children", located on the last page of the November 14 Sports Illustrated: see www.sportillustrated.com.  So there is no need to add to the reported facts, nor try to assess the devastation of Sandusky's victims.  However, I would like to offer insight as to how a wonderful man like Joe Paterno, a decent, religious man, a role model for decades of PSU students, could have made such a bad decision to not expose and stop this evil behavior.
I think we can call it a maxim, that whenever anyone, a president, a church, or a coach, puts the perpetuation of their reputation, self-interest, comfort, tradition, or whatever, before what is right, they start down a road that can only lead to disaster.  When Nixon cared more about his presidency than his moral obligation to speak the truth to the American people, he began a process that could only end in exposure, shame and disgrace.  When the Catholic Church chose to protect the institution above the safety of children, it set itself on a course that could only lead to exposure, shame and disgrace.  And when Joe Paterno chose to look the other way for the sake of the school's reputation and his friendship with Sandusky, he too chose the inevitable path of exposure, shame and disgrace.
What is the remedy?  Do we need to pass more and stricter laws against deviant behavior?  Do we need to have a truth patrol that checks and reports on the veracity of the words of every politician, church official, and coach?  Do we need to adjudicate, legislate and control, so that no one will ever dare to do or say the wrong thing?  No.  It begins in our hearts.  It begins when we recognize that there is right and there is wrong, and there are consequences to our choices.  Because of his wrong choice to pass the buck rather than stop the evil, many innocent children have been harmed, and Joe Paterno’s well-earned legacy has been destroyed.  As a man of faith, as a coach and a moral example to young men, he should have made a better choice.

Submitted by Sonia Skillman