He ignored it, will you?
I am absolutely appalled by what happened at Penn State University over a 15 year period. A former senior coaching staff member was arrested on charges of child molestation spanning that time period. In the wake of his arrest, the Head Coach was fired.
Joe Paterno.
If you know anything about college football, his name is probably known to you, and its likely his face is also recognizable.
Those glasses.
That nose.
The scowl.
This guy was at the top of his profession for 46 years.
Forty-six.
That’s a long time to do anything, let alone do it in superior fashion. This year he was leading the team to what was likely going to be another Big Ten title and a bowl game.
But he knew about the illicit affairs of his former assistant coach, and took the low road. He kept it quiet for the most part. He once mentioned something to a supervisor, but he skewed the report and made it seem harmless. “Paterno recalls McQueary “vaguely” referencing “fondling” or “touching” or “horsing around” by Sandusky and a youth. But Paterno never had the understanding that McQueary had witnessed a “sodomy” or “rape.””
Because as long as you don’t
‘rape’ or ‘sodomize’ children,
its no big deal to ‘fondle’ or ‘touch’ them.
Right?
This hits close to home for me, as a very close friend of mine was molested as a child, but was never believed. Even this person’s own sister, who was also molested, would not believe it was happening. Everyone thought it was the figment of an overactive imagination, that perhaps TV had planted ideas that were being brought to life, or that it was a cry for attention.
But it wasn’t.
All these people were worse than the sex offender. They stood by. They knew and neglected to act. Hate is not the opposite of love, neglect is.
In leadership there is a lot of talk about accountability and standards. A key thought is that not addressing an issue or wrong doing is the exact same thing as offering your approval. If you don’t correct the action, it will be repeated.
Will you help us address this, or are you one of the many that is more upset with Paterno being released and its possible affect on his football legacy rather than being righteously angry about the atrocity that led to it? Yep, hundreds, if not thousands, of students rallied behind Paterno, saying he was a scapegoat and it was unfair. That’s like saying that its okay if your brother or sister uses your house with your knowledge to manufacture drugs and sell them. With their logic, you are not liable for his/her actions.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Or not. Definitely not.
We are carrying the flag for every child that needs protecting, and specifically for those that are exploited, molested, trafficked, enslaved or traded as sexual objects.
It makes us angry enough to act, and we invite you to join us.
In an earlier post there is info on donating direct to the team if you would like to do so.
I can't stop 