It Takes a Village

I would assume that anyone who hasn’t heard about the Penn State Child Sex Scandal has been living under a rock, or perhaps vacationing on a remote desert island with absolutely no wireless capabilities.  So I’m going to move forward with this post under the assumption that everyone is aware of the events that have taken place at Penn State.

Last night at the gym I watched on CNN as students at Penn State gathered to protest and riot in honor of Joe Paterno, beloved patriarch of the Penn State Football program.  The tears sprung to my eyes as I toiled away on the Stairmaster, and it wasn’t because my calves and quads were screaming out in pain.  No, it was because all of those misguided college students were defending an accessory to child sex abuse.  Yes, you read that right.  I’m accusing Joe Paterno of being guilty of a crime, because unless there is some compelling evidence that proves otherwise that surfaces in the coming weeks, he is.

He’s certainly not the perpetuator of the abuse; that deviate title belongs to spawn of Satan Jerry Sandusky.  Joe Paterno was an enabler; he enabled the abuse of numerous young boys, in my opinion, more to protect the reputation of his football program than the reputation of his lifelong friend, Jerry Sandusky.   He prioritized football over the welfare of innocent young boys.

Let’s go back to that fateful day in March 2002 when the graduate assistant coach (by the way – why does that guy still have a job?) walks in on Sandusky raping a 10 year old boy in the shower.  WHY he didn’t take that boy and run down the hall screaming like a banshee for someone to call 911 will remain a question for the ages.  The fact that he didn’t call the police AT ALL is criminal.  Let me tell you, as a woman, as a mother, as a HUMAN BEING, if I had walked in on that scene, the height and girth of Jerry Sandusky would not have intimidated me in the slightest.  I would not have turned and walked away; I would have stayed and fought for the dignity and the safety of that child.  I would have left that shower room with Sandusky’s balls in one hand and the child in the other, or in a body bag.  There isn’t any in-between in a situation like that.

He did tell Joe Paterno, who told his superiors, who told… no one of importance.  They simply took Sandusky’s keys away and told him not to bring kids on campus…and what message did that send?  “Hey – it’s ok to rape boys, just don’t do it on our property.”  Every single one of those men had an obligation to those children; an obligation not to facilitate their sexual assault.  They had an obligation not to irreparably damage those boys’ lives in an effort to protect a football program and a sexual predator.

I’m going to be honest about something; I’ve never been one for team sports.  I hate the whole concept of “the team’s only as strong as their weakest player.”  Well then kick the weakest player off.  I was on the “tennis team”, but let’s face it – that is an individual sport.  But the biggest reason I almost abhor team sports is the whole mob mentality that the “team must be protected at all costs.”  To hell with morality and decency so long as the team’s honor and ability to win games is protected.  This is not the first example of this phenomenon, and it certainly won’t be the last.  I believe Penn State’s motto is “Success with Honor” – seems like “Success with Silence” is more accurate.  I also don’t understand the hero worship around Paterno.  He was a COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACH.  He didn’t cure cancer.  He didn’t end world hunger.  He couldn’t even call the cops when a kid was being raped.

When the dust has settled around this whole thing, I believe the over-arching message will be this – Jerry Sandusky didn’t act alone.  He had people protecting and enabling him at every turn.  He used his position of power and prestige to lure young boys into a sexual trap, and he did it with help.    The saying is, “It takes a village to RAISE a child.”  In Penn State’s case, it also takes a village to rape one.

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