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He turned it in. The administration needed to move forward on it. "They" needed to grab that guy and drag him right to the station. Their names need to be listed as the ones who did not make the correct move.
I think Joe was just a bit old and as he stated "confused" by the whole situation.
From the things I read about him. He was quite an amazing man.
He turned it in. The administration needed to move forward on it. "They" needed to grab that guy and drag him right to the station. Their names need to be listed as the ones who did not make the correct move.
I think Joe was just a bit old and as he stated "confused" by the whole situation.
From the things I read about him. He was quite an amazing man.
So at the age of 75 while leading a D1 football program he was too old and confused to know what to do with the issue of children being rapped?
Let me be clear, as it seems you do not understand: Your state has lousy laws.
Yes. " Lousy" Pennsylvania became the first state ever to enact mandatory reporting legislation for all crimes that are committed on college campuses. This later extended to all other states by becoming federal law known as the Clery Act.
The problem is not within the laws but rather with the current implementation and enforcement of child abuse reporting laws. Even if Pennsylvania happened to be one of those 18 states whose laws require that all citizens are mandated to report suspected abuse, only 1/2 of those 18 states really only mandate that citizens duly report if the abuse is being perpetrated by the actual parent or custodian of the abused child.
That law still wouldn't have necessarily helped in this case where the identified abuser was not the parent but rather the child's coach.
Paterno did report to law enforcement ( Schultz) who was in charge of campus police, but I also think that he should have personally followed up by also notifying the state as well.
Location: Pittsburgh--Home of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gold*dust1
I didn't know much about Penn State but since this story broke and I heard the dialog surrounding the circumstances, I believe the media made Paterno the scapegoat. They would have never been able to bring any charges against him yet they continued to bat it about.
IMO Sandusky's wife is much more culpable as she should have known something was very off with her husband!!! Disgusting how they live right next to a school yard!
JoePa was absolutely made the scapegoat here. And you are correct--charges would have never stuck against Joe.
"Escaped justice"---please Yzette!!!
I also agree that Sandusky's wife is much more culpable than Joe Paterno.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhondee
Yes. " Lousy" Pennsylvania became the first state ever to enact mandatory reporting legislation for all crimes that are committed on college campuses. This later extended to all other states by becoming federal law known as the Clery Act.
The problem is not within the laws but rather with the current implementation and enforcement of child abuse reporting laws. Even if Pennsylvania happened to be one of those 18 states whose laws require that all citizens are mandated to report suspected abuse, only 1/2 of those 18 states really only mandate that citizens duly report if the abuse is being perpetrated by the actual parent or custodian of the abused child.
That law still wouldn't have necessarily helped in this case where the identified abuser was not the parent but rather the child's coach.
Paterno did report to law enforcement ( Schultz) who was in charge of campus police, but I also think that he should have personally followed up by also notifying the state as well.
DING DING DING!! We have a winner! People would rather vilify him because of WHO he is. You don't hear any of these posters who are nailing him to the cross saying a word about good ole Schultz or good ole Curley!!! THEY WERE THE ONES WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING IT TO THE STATE POLICE!
He should have followed up--absolutely. But these posters (not only on this thread, but others as well) are acting like he did absolutely nothing and that is NOT the case.
So at the age of 75 while leading a D1 football program he was too old and confused to know what to do with the issue of children being rapped?
I don't think he was too old, but I think he might have been confused about what to do.
A lot of people have talked over the past few months about what they would have done in his situation. I have no doubt that some of the people might have handled the situation more courageously than Paterno did, but many others would not. I think those who wouldn't have followed it up would have been guilty of a tragic kind of negligence, just as Joe Paterno was, but as inexplicable as it might seem, I also could understand how it happens.
Once you step away from the keyboard and the world of blogosphere, the reality that everyone knows on some level but doesn't want to admit is that people frequently botch these kinds of situations. People frequently fail to do the 'right' or 'courageous' thing when confronted with a potentially ugly reality. It explains why people stand around and watch some guy get pummeled by a thug on a train, or why neighbors listen to their neighbor beat the hell out of his wife and children. It explains why, in some neighborhoods, nobody calls the cops when they hear gunshots outside their apartment. It explains why an agent at an airline counter doesn't alert airport security about a bizarre $2500-3000 plane ticket and the eyes of rage of one Muhammad Atta on the morning of September 11, 2001. It's called fear. People are afraid of getting involved. People are afraid of starting a process that will get ugly for people they meet or people they know, not knowing all the facts, and not knowing how it will all eventually turn out in the end; not knowing who will get hurt, who will be victimized, and the truth behind it all. So people like Joe Paterno do nothing, because it's safe, it's easy, it's the known over the unknown. I'm sure I'll catch a little hell for saying that, but that's fine; I'm talking about reality here, not the world of internet message board heroes. How people say they would respond, and how they would actually respond in the heat of the moment, when it's their reputation and the reputation of people they live next to or work with, are two different things.
Joe Paterno messed up, and people got hurt for it. He's the guy who didn't do enough, but I don't think he's the bad guy here.
I don't think he was too old, but I think he might have been confused about what to do.
A lot of people have talked over the past few months about what they would have done in his situation. I have no doubt that some of the people might have handled the situation more courageously than Paterno did, but many others would not. I think those who wouldn't have followed it up would have been guilty of a tragic kind of negligence, just as Joe Paterno was, but as inexplicable as it might seem, I also could understand how it happens.
Once you step away from the keyboard and the world of blogosphere, the reality that everyone knows on some level but doesn't want to admit is that people frequently botch these kinds of situations. People frequently fail to do the 'right' or 'courageous' thing when confronted with a potentially ugly reality. It explains why people stand around and watch some guy get pummeled by a thug on a train, or why neighbors listen to their neighbor beat the hell out of his wife and children. It explains why, in some neighborhoods, nobody calls the cops when they hear gunshots outside their apartment. It explains why an agent at an airline counter doesn't alert airport security about a bizarre $2500-3000 plane ticket and the eyes of rage of one Muhammad Atta on the morning of September 11, 2001. It's called fear. People are afraid of getting involved. People are afraid of starting a process that will get ugly for people they meet or people they know, not knowing all the facts, and not knowing how it will all eventually turn out in the end; not knowing who will get hurt, who will be victimized, and the truth behind it all. So people like Joe Paterno do nothing, because it's safe, it's easy, it's the known over the unknown. I'm sure I'll catch a little hell for saying that, but that's fine; I'm talking about reality here, not the world of internet message board heroes. How people say they would respond, and how they would actually respond in the heat of the moment, when it's their reputation and the reputation of people they live next to or work with, are two different things.
Joe Paterno messed up, and people got hurt for it. He's the guy who didn't do enough, but I don't think he's the bad guy here.
What is unfortunate is how polarized the opinions are. Like with anything the truth is in the middle. I don't consider Joe a victim. He commited a mistake and paid dearly for that mistake. And he deserved the backlash for his mistake. Retaining a person who raped children is unforgivable. Any reasonable person would have reported him to the authorities. And if the school did nothing about it, that person would have fired that person from their staff. I understand that was not an easy situation for Joe Paterno to be in. Sandusky was his friend and he wanted to protect him but that doesn't mean he should have and it doesn't mean you allow your personal feelings for someone to take precedence over the safety and well being of children.
That being said, Joe was a great man. He did many great things for this country. He benefitted countless people and accomplished far more great things than bad ones. His legacy should not be identified by the Sandusky tragedy. He is a great man and great men make mistakes.
I really wish all of us could accept the truth above but instead people either demonize him or make him a saint. He was neither. He was a great man and great men are capable of making grave mistakes which he committed.
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