Fyi: Long Joe Paterno Interview Going Around The Internet Today...

[soulofLC]

It just goes to show you what a sickness the sports industry in this country has become. Sports figures are worshiped and paid $$$$$$$$$$ ad nauseum. And when one of them screws up, they are still venerated. What kind of role model is that for kids? It is enough to make me puke.

 

[anthony]

What did he do? I quickly briefed over http://espn.go.com/college-football...e-nittany-lions-fired-joe-paterno-lack-action which says it was another person, Sandusky, is abused people.

What role did this Joe Paterno have in this? Did he know about it longer than a few days?

 

[catjudo]

Basically, years ago a graduate assistant walked in on Sandusky as he was raping a young boy. The graduate assistant reported it to Paterno. Paterno reported it to his supervisors but did nothing more. His supervisor and other university officials swept it under the rug, effectively allowing Sandusky to continue raping and abusing boys for many more years.

There is more to it, but that is the quick, condensed version. Nobody take shots at me about how much more is involved.

 

[anthony]

Got it... so he was just as negligent then as his supervisors.

 

[anni]

That's an awesome condensed version! Yes, he's just as negligent as anyone then compounds the whole thing with this wierd 'What's all the fuss about?' mien, which you'd get a kick about if the subject matter were something less hideous, it's SOOO incredibly dismissive and truly baffled. I actually do get the impression Paterno is genuinly, genuinly baffled about all the 'fuss' over 'all this'.

I don't know, I think the Powers-That-Be tend to be pretty tough on these football celebs, so this Paterno thing baffles ME. It's NFL so different I guess but for instance The Giant's Buress had his personal gun go off in a club, in the guy's pocket, shooting no one but himself in the leg. NO-he should not have been carrying the thing at all. It's one of those wierd, American things which make zero sense, some of our carry laws because in this instance it was illegal for him to have his with him. He was given 2 years of prison time for this, shooting himself with his own gun accidently. I'm pretty sure Joe Normal would have been let off with a suspended sentence, after the judge had finished laughing.

For a general public which seems to consider itself awfully religious around here, it doesn't seem to have occured to anyone that water-walking is supposed to be a singular event.

 

[simplekindofgirl]

I suppose that is the part in which I can not comprehend. If I as a normal human being knew of a crime, and did nothing but report it to my superiors or supervisors who opted to 'sweep it under the rug' and in turn the crime is repeated- would we not all be charged with aiding, or at least with misprision (failure to report a crime/felony whilst concealing it)?

I do not care if it was mother Teresa herself, if she concealed the truth about any sexual abuse of a child, even she would still be guilty and accountable.

 

[catjudo]

If we were talking about being morally wrong, your thinking would be correct. Unfortunately, from a legal standpoint it doesn't work that way. The only reason Paterno's supervisors are in legal trouble is because when questioned in court, they lied. So they're not really in trouble for what they did as much as being in trouble for lying about it. What they (Paterno and his supervisor/university administrators) did is morally repugnant but overall not illegal. I'm not saying I like it. Not saying that's the way it should be. But that is the way it is.

 

[simplekindofgirl]

Ah yes, I should have paid more attention while I was being taught- the act of concealment is not merely hiding, it is destroying. Right. Knowing about it and doing nothing about it is not the same as destroying evidence. Even when you have the duty/moral obligation to report a crime when you have a status relationship, which is also questionable (objectionable) by law because of the type of relationship being that the child was not his own.

Not saying that's the way it should be. But that is the way it is.

Yes. And isn't that always the way, sadly. That is the key factor in being an enabler, lack of accountability.

 

[simplekindofgirl]

Joe Paterno died Sunday at age 85. I find the media reports about Joe and his career to be very interesting, but I am admittedly confused about my emotional reaction to it. I can however clearly identify with my anger when I read the words (paraphrased) that - Joe was a hard fighter, and that he only ever thought of others, and that he was devoted to his family his career and his community.

Sandusky has been charged with more than 50 counts involving sexual acts with 10 boys since 1994. He is pleading not guilty.