I have sat and read and watched the posters of this forum criticize, and judge the actions of a man whom by all standards has led an exemplary life. Paterno’s life has been lived under the spotlights and under the accompanying scrutiny that comes with the spotlights. Until now he has passed every test and judgment.
Yet, without full knowledge of the facts, some of you have judged Joe Paterno as an accessory to criminal activities, including murder. I can’t even respond to those comments because I am frankly dumbfounded by them.
In an attempt to express outrage over what were by all accounts disgusting and vile acts, you are ready to condemn anyone associated with the accused perpetrator of those acts. Perhaps you don’t realize that they are also victims at some level; albeit not to the same degree as the children involved in this.
You don’t know the man (Paterno), or what he has or hasn’t gone through or is going through regarding these incidents.
The best way I can express the aspects of this situation that most are overlooking is by relating a personal experience.
Many years ago (30+)I worked as a counselor for several treatment programs for juvenile delinquents. Another of the counselors, who had become a friend, seemed to take a greater interest in particular boys in the program than he showed for all of them.
His actions didn’t seem professional to me, yet the he never seemed to cross the line of being anything worse than unprofessional, and showing favoritism towards some of the children. At times a thought would cross my mind that something inappropriate could be happening, but I had no evidence of that. I didn’t act upon my thoughts because I had nothing more than an intuition and didn’t want to destroy someone’s career and life with a false accusation.
Over time, I moved on from this employment and so did the co-worker. Unlike me, he continued to work in a career that placed him in contact with juveniles. It was maybe 10-15 years later when I found out that my former friend and co-worker was arrested for child molestation that occurred after the time we worked together.
I have NO knowledge that this man ever did anything deviant or criminal while we were co-workers, but the possibility that he might have, and I didn’t see it or act upon my intuition bothers me to this day.
It seems clear to me that Jerry Sandusky is a serial pedophile, the facts of which will be determined by due process.
Joe Paterno was a co-worker and friend of Jerry Sandusky. We don’t know what Paterno knew or when he knew it. It is likely that we never will, because he will not be given the benefit of due process.
But I can imagine the self-guilt that he and others involved (the university administrators, the Second Mile authorities, the high school authorities, the parents, and the local civil authorities) are feeling now that they didn’t do something sooner to stop what was happening.
The greater someone or something is the more others seem to revel in their downfall.
Fire away, but you don't know what you think you know.
