Why Joe Paterno had to Go

Today a 10-year-old child is no safer then he was yesterday or the day before. Last night, the world became privy to an American dirty secret and a horrifying and saddening harsh reality.

Last Night, Joe Paterno was fired along with a relative unimportant unknown: the now former president of Penn State.  Last night the student masses rose up in outrage—earnest social activists that they are.  They rose up in protest of Joe Paterno being fired.  You see, Joe Paterno is an innocent victim too right?

The couple of nights before, there were no public outcry from these students over the rape of a 10-year-old child in a Penn State locker room shower. Child rape was just not that important in this sport driven town ruled by the legendary Joe Paterno. 

I remember down in the south such things were hushed away and never brought up in polite conversation.  It was not proper to speak of such things. It was not proper.

And at Penn State an eerie southern like reenactment occurs: 

1. A child is allegedly raped in a locker room shower stall at Penn State University
2. During the alleged assault, a graduate student witnesses the entire thing and reports the aggression to Joe Paterno
3. The child sees the witness and even then the assault continues.
4. Paterno passes the information up the chain of command and nothing is done to contact the police or even social services about this assault. It would not be proper.
5. Penn State takes the perpetrators locker room keys and tells him to go away for a few days.
6. The alleged perpetrator shows up at ball after being told to stay distant with kids in tow.

So, these students have a right to be outraged although, in this writer’s humble opinion, these righteous students of Penn State should be outraged at themselves.  We all understand team spirit and we do get it. We get it.  But this college and its students; this bastion of the future potential 1 percent simply does not get it.  Why should they? It didn’t happen to them or at least as far as we know.  After all child abuse is one of the things that go neatly and discreetly under a rug, right?

They should be embarrassed and their parents should be ashamed but most likely they will continue to belch their fires of superfluous indignity because an enabler was let go.  That is right, I said “enabler”.  If, for whatever reason, these types of crimes are not reported, then the perpetrator is enabled to go back out and continue his ghastly pattern.

By sending this man away and taking his keys to the locker room and NOT reporting his activities to the authorities, Penn State has allowed him, nay given him permission indirectly, to act against the innocent once again.  Hey, don’t argue with me about this one: the guy showed up with a fresh crop of kids in tow at a Penn State Ball game.

So, intellects of Penn State; what is it that you are protesting exactly?  You should be ashamed of your self and I do not chide you lightly. I am familiar with this scenario.

You see, a long, long time ago in a system far away, I was in a foster home and the male head of that family liked little boys and one day he decided to take me fishing and being in need of being wanted because that is what foster kids need, I went with him.  We got down to his private fishing spot, he showed me “his” private spot and it could have gone further if his wife hadn’t showed up and frantically intervened. She grabbed me up, threw me into her car and dashed away with me.  I was five years old at the time.

You see, she knew about his little problem, did nothing to stop it and it continued with other children in their care. As a matter of fact, I was severely whipped with a fly swatter to my bare five-year-old behind because I went fishing with him. He was not at fault for molestation, I was at fault for tempting her husband.  She was an enabler like Mr. Paterno. Now Child Protective Services found out about my situation and did nothing except pull my sister and me out of that wretched home and stuck us in a children’s home.  My sister suffered the worst and was mute for several years. I cannot comment further on her as that is her story to tell.

My sister and I overcame the trauma but it took many years of enduring a torturous lack of confidence. For me, at least, the episode raises up as a vague but ugly little memory that I just tuck back into some dark and dusty part of my brain.

So my final words are for this assaulted child, whose tragic story takes the back seat to the inconveniencing of a sterile and self-preserving school and sports system.  Son, the world goes on and its possible to rise above this episode despite the riotous behavior of a school full of self absorbed chimps.  My prayers are with you.

As for the chimps:  I hope you never have children.

I’m just sayin….