Those of you that know me know that I came from the legal world. I try my best not to jump to conclusions and I try not to let emotions sway my decisions and I try to take the high road and do what is legal and most of all what is right. Notice that I used the word “try” a number of times and did not profess to be good at trying on all occasions. I am human and I am fallible, but I do try. This is where you Yoda fans can chime in with, “Do or do not. There is no try.”
Right now I think that would apply to the faculty, administrators, coaches and those in power at Penn State University. For those that have not heard about the tragedy at Penn State involving the football coaches and those with authority of the school, I’ll give you some time to Google it or to catch up with the rest of the world. I wanted to weigh in because I felt like I needed to get this off my chest and I also wanted to start some dialogue here. I think that if we as Dads talk about these things we can learn from them and take something of tragedy and try to make something positive. Yes, there is that word “try” again. Shut up Yoda.
Penn State University is a revered institution. A college most know as a top school in the country and certainly a top school that also has a top football program. I can remember my first real knowledge of Penn State when I was young watching a hero of mine, John Cappelletti, a running back for Penn State who won the Heisman Trophy in 1973. I remember wanting to be just like him, and not quite as much as a football player, but as a man. He was a hero because of his dedication to the game and in turn, dedicating the trophy to his brother Joey who died of Leukemia.
Part of that institution was the coach of the program, Joe Patereno. Much like a priest in a church, an obvious analogy here but only to the point that he is the face of the program. Paterno is the only head coach the Penn State Nittany Lions have had in the last 46 seasons and a part of the coaching staff for 62 years. To say the least Joe Paterno has defined the program and he has been the face of Penn State for as long as I can remember, and I’m old. Today he was fired as the head coach and many would say rightly so given the current scandal. I am not accusing the coach of wrongdoing and I am not saying what he did do was not proper, I am angered by what Joe Paterno didn’t do.
Not wanting to put the cart in front of the horse and having been raised myself on the idea that all are innocent until proven guilty, I decided to research the issue further. I would suggest that if you have not read the grand jury report after their investigation, you read it now to familiarize yourself with the investigation. It is a tough read. I have read numerous briefs and have written a few myself and this is a difficult one to sit and complete in one reading. I had to read it more than once to absorb all the details and not be overcome by emotion. After I read the report the last time I decided I needed to offer my opinion.
We all need heroes. Part of the reason I have Captain Genuine as an avatar in all the social networks and on my Daddy blog is because I wanted to be a super hero to my children. I wanted to be their champion. We need heroes or champions because we need to be protected and we need to be counseled and we need to feel like someone is on our side. For the young boys and young men in this story, and in this situation, they are no different. They need a champion. They are begging for a hero.
I continue to hear in this circumstance people did what they felt was the proper protocol and that they had gone through channels and told the proper authorities and did what they could. I am not of that opinion. As a father of 4 and three of those being boys, I continue to think of the victims here. They had no hero. I’m angry because men of the stature of these should be heroes and they should be champions of young men. They should be the champion of the weak and of those that cannot stand tall for themselves. Yes, they may have done what was legal, what was expected, and what they needed to do to cover their asses as the saying goes, but stand in front of that child and explain the reverse. Explain to “Victim 1” in the grand jury report why the institution, its coaches, administrators, authorities, and those in power, needed to be protected instead of protecting him. Were the people involved so egotistical and above all else that they had to ignore the victim? No.
I hope that I am never witness to or a part of the type of scandal we are seeing unfold here. I cannot imagine how horrible those involved must feel for their part in it. I am sure that they are now wishing that maybe they had taken this more serious and that they had done more. I have heard Paterno say as much. Hindsight is a bummer. Paterno is an icon but as a father and a grandfather of 17, I am sure he is sickened now by the way he leaves the game and the university. For a man known as one of the good guys, he had a moment I am sure where he was asked to be the hero. It’s hard to choose the right path. He missed the chance. Going forward, I hope the university can gain back some of its good name and its standing. To everyone I say, when it’s time, be the hero.
This story breaks my heart. I can’t even FATHOM not acting forcefully if I even THOUGHT someone might be abusing kids! So sad…
Yes, this story is a real nightmare all around. I can’t fathom why there would be any amount of money at all that could keep Sandusky out of jail at this point.
I don’t care if it’s a family member, a coworker, a boss, or whoever. If you are doing these things to helpless kids, your rehabilitation only has one starting point: jail. The people who enabled this monster made it even more difficult to hear the children’s silent screams.
Here’s my take – will become a blog
Media is missing a great opportunity to educate people about Pedophilia http://bit.ly/sRxvoK , which is Jerry Sandusky’s MENTAL DISORDER. Have you wondered why a man like Sandusky, who was accomplished and respected in his community, would risk everything to satisfy his sexual urges by sexually abusing young boys? Sandusky’s behavior can never be excused, but it needs to be understood and explained to the masses.
My wife is a district attorney in LA County. She works in the Sex Crimes Division http://bit.ly/uVycLO Her unit deals specifically with Sexually Violent Predators. Her main responsibility is to keep convicted offenders behind bars, or in mental institutions when they are eligible to be paroled. People like Sandusky cannot control their impulses/urges and need to be locked up and treated to protect society, as well as to protect them from themselves. When someone has a disease or mental disorder like Sandusky has, he needs help, a lot of help.
Is Pedophilia curable? No, it’s not, but it can be managed and treated. A term a doctor might use to describe Pedophilia is that it’s “enduring and chronic.” My wife likes to say it’s “permanent and incurable.”
These two words, “permanent and incurable” don’t offer too much hope for the individuals that suffer from pedophilia. 900+ people in the state of California have been convicted of sexually violent crimes in a 15 year period. Over that 15 year period, only 20 have been CONDITIONALLY released. The word conditionally is important, because they are heavily supervised in the unlikely event they are released.
The people who knew of Sandusky’s condition and tolerated it for so many years obviously had no understanding of the chronic and enduring nature of his condition. Whatever he said to them about changing his pattern of behavior, were just hollow words, because he had no control over his impulses. In his own way, he was crying out for help and they neglected to hear/listen and respond appropriately to his cries. Pedophiles need to be reported immediately to authorities. They won’t change because their mental condition won’t allow them to change. Here’s a link to somebody who gets the seriousness of this mental disorder: http://bit.ly/smbPjE
What can we learn from the Penn St. debacle. There are so many things that I can list, but the one thing I hope people learn is the responsibility they have for getting pedophiles off the streets. If you see or suspect suspicious behavior, don’t ignore your gut instincts. Follow through and tell the appropriate authorities. We all bear a responsibility & I’ll link @megtripp excellent essay on “bearing responsibility:” http://bit.ly/tUHYJj
I’m disgusted by the fact that a 28 year old male saw a 10 year old being raped by Sandusky and did nothing to stop it. He just slinked away and tried to decide what he was going to do about it.
That’s just sad. I would hope that any adult would stop the assault and call the authorities.
I couldn’t get by the first victim, personally, and don’t plan on it.
I had a hard time making any of it make sense Adam.
A must read blog:
“What Every Parent Can Learn from the Penn State Scandal:” http://bit.ly/w1MS0p
In general, blind dates these sites charges for registration to become their member.
This is really a roller coaster emotionally.
The site is very closed and private. I am a smart, capable, attractive,
single lady.
My webpage :: fish.com dating
With the all new Wii U Game Pad, you can now fly helicopters around the area with
motion control, solve crimes, scan for hidden criminals with a special radar screen, learn Kung Fu the
same exact way as Neo learned it in the Matrix and
one other thing that I can’t seem to remember.
Meanwhile, in the stealth fights where Batman picks off armed thugs one by one, there’s another somewhat dirty-feeling win button: a remote grapple that strings up thugs without them even having
to walk under a gargoyle. Picking up where the
last issue left off (naturally: the story is still split into two
focal points; those who are still in the regular universe, and the Guardians of the Galaxy who have ventured into “the Cancerverse” with Thanos to halt the
invasion at the source.
Quite revealing….looking forward to returning.
Many thanks extremely valuable. Will certainly share site with my buddies.
buy lipitor 10mg online cheap atorvastatin 20mg without prescription order atorvastatin 20mg pill
purchase baycip – order keflex 250mg online how to get clavulanate without a prescription
purchase baycip generic – bactrim cheap buy clavulanate paypal
buy ciprofloxacin 500mg online cheap – chloramphenicol tablets order erythromycin 500mg online
flagyl 200mg generic – buy amoxil no prescription generic azithromycin 500mg
ivermectin 3 mg without prescription – buy suprax generic tetracycline 250mg tablet
order valacyclovir generic – acyclovir 800mg price purchase zovirax online cheap
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
cheap ampicillin how to get amoxil without a prescription order amoxicillin without prescription
buy metronidazole 200mg without prescription – amoxicillin buy online zithromax 500mg cheap
cost furosemide 100mg – minipress us capoten 25 mg sale
glucophage for sale online – purchase epivir online how to buy lincocin
buy zidovudine 300mg sale – buy epivir 100 mg sale order zyloprim generic
buy clozaril 100mg online – pepcid 20mg brand order generic pepcid 40mg
seroquel pills – purchase quetiapine pills purchase eskalith for sale
where to buy clomipramine without a prescription – purchase paroxetine pill sinequan 75mg generic
hydroxyzine 10mg oral – order atarax sale purchase endep pill
amoxiclav order – myambutol 600mg pills cipro online order
order amoxicillin sale – cheap amoxil sale cipro 500mg canada
buy zithromax 500mg generic – order zithromax online cheap order ciplox 500mg online
clindamycin sale – buy cleocin 150mg generic chloramphenicol brand
ivermectin 12mg pills for humans – cefaclor online buy generic cefaclor
albuterol inhalator over the counter – oral fexofenadine 120mg theophylline 400mg pill
methylprednisolone 4mg for sale – methylprednisolone medicine order azelastine 10 ml online
order clarinex generic – beclamethasone cheap albuterol 2mg canada
glyburide sale – order glipizide 5mg pill buy dapagliflozin paypal
metformin over the counter – buy sitagliptin pills for sale order generic acarbose 25mg
buy generic prandin – order repaglinide 2mg without prescription jardiance without prescription
buy rybelsus online cheap – DDAVP price desmopressin medication
order lamisil 250mg pill – terbinafine uk buy griseofulvin paypal
order nizoral 200 mg online cheap – cheap sporanox 100mg buy itraconazole generic
buy famvir pills for sale – buy valcivir tablets buy valcivir
lanoxin 250 mg price – verapamil 120mg canada buy generic furosemide 40mg
buy metoprolol pills – adalat 10mg for sale nifedipine drug
microzide 25 mg cheap – buy zebeta medication brand bisoprolol 10mg
where to buy nitroglycerin without a prescription – cost clonidine order valsartan 160mg
simvastatin lurk – zocor sort lipitor welcome