Penn State horror story

[Steve9347]

And you also said "you both."

As in "he both feels one way and another".

[iamshack]

As in "he both feels one way and another".

Ahh, gotcha.

 

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

As in "he both feels one way and another".

 

So one can't think he should be fired/resign and still at the same time realize he's at the very low-end of the total pole as far as blame goes for what went down?

Edited November 9, 2011 by Jordan4life

[Harry Chappas]

Is he or is he not the head of the football program? Wouldnt he be the person to ban someone from his practices?? Wouldnt he be the correct person to call the police or other authorities when he saw Sandusky illegally taking a child to his practice? How far can you go with this ignorance defense?

 

I ma not trying to be an ass here but after the "ban" was he seen around Paterno and practice with kids? He seemed to be doing this when he knew the team was away. It may have said in the GJ report and I may have missed it.

 

The creepy thing that should have tipped everyone off is him traveling to the Bowl games with these kids.

 

Was/is sandusky's wife around?

[Steve9347]

I said I don't blame him for not marching over to the police station the minute he was confronted with these accusations. Strange, Rock and others think that was the no-doubt-about-it first course of action.

An 8 year old was raped in the shower. If that's not your first action, it's the action you ensure happens after you report. There's no if's about it. Paterno, and everyone else in that sick college town enabled it.

[Steve9347]

So one can't think he should be fired/resign and still at the same time realize he's at the very low-end of the total pole as far as blame goes for what went down?

If he's at the low-end of the totem pole, that totem pole is only 4 or 5 figures high, man.

[Steve9347]

I ma not trying to be an ass here but after the "ban" was he seen around Paterno and practice with kids? He seemed to be doing this when he knew the team was away. It may have said in the GJ report and I may have missed it.

I quoted the report in an earlier post. He took one of his victims to PSU pre-season practices as late as 2007 or 2008.

[Jordan4life_2007]

An 8 year old was raped in the shower. If that's not your first action, it's the action you ensure happens after you report. There's no if's about it. Paterno, and everyone else in that sick college town enabled it.

 

Yes, I'm definitely supporting that. You've got me.

[Steve9347]

Yes, I'm definitely supporting that. You've got me.

Now you are just posting weird things. Where did I post that you support it. If you wouldn't go directly to the police, then you have different standards than I do. I, however, said nothing to the tune of "J4L is pro-child rape".

[RockRaines]

Last week you would have told us he was too old and senile to know what's going on with his football program. Now you'd have us believe he knows every detail of what goes on on the entire campus.

IN 1998 and 2002 I would have thought he did, yes.

[StrangeSox]

IN 1998 and 2002 I would have thought he did, yes.

 

It's not some background investigation, either. His life-long friend and coach was forced to retire over it. It's an assumption but a pretty safe one that Joe would know why he was leaving. Even if he truly didn't, he still knew what the allegations were in 2002 and that Sandusky was barred from bringing children around. At some point you can't miss all of the flashing lights and blaring sirens without doing it intentionally.

[RockRaines]

Ugh, everytime I read a new story it makes me feel dirtier and dirtier. I hate this scandal.

[Balta1701]

It's not some background investigation, either. His life-long friend and coach was forced to retire over it. It's an assumption but a pretty safe one that Joe would know why he was leaving. Even if he truly didn't, he still knew what the allegations were in 2002 and that Sandusky was barred from bringing children around. At some point you can't miss all of the flashing lights and blaring sirens without doing it intentionally.

This is one part where I'm willing to accept that Shack might have a point.

 

The Human Brain has this wierd set of defense mechanisms that kick in under unique circumstances. An outsider might recognize it as simple denial, or a lack of recognition of what is going on around him.

 

It's entirely possible that his brain simply refused to allow himself to see all the flashing lights. These type of things do happen, and they're hard to deal with.

 

That said...if that's really what happened, if Paterno simply couldn't process it, then he deserves every bit of criticism he gets, and he should have resigned yesterday so that his students wouldn't be celebrating on his lawn when he got hom.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Now you are just posting weird things. Where did I post that you support it. If you wouldn't go directly to the police, then you have different standards than I do. I, however, said nothing to the tune of "J4L is pro-child rape".

 

That's what you're insinuating. Yes, we NOW know a rape took place. At the time it was an allegation. It's not about having different standards. Yes, if you know for a fact a crime is being committed, report it. I don't pretend to have this god-like, I always know what to do at any given moment attitude that some here appear to have. I had a friend of mine, 22 at the time, that got decked by her BF while arguing with him. She came to me, as a close friend, and confided to me what happened. And you can definitely tell she got socked. Of course, my first reaction was to call the cops. She BEGGED me not to do that. Literally on her knees. She loved the coward and didn't want me to get involved. So I stayed out of it. Am I a monster now? To be clear, I'm not comparing this situation to a child getting raped. But I don't pretend to be the morals messiah and I laugh when others do.

[Milkman delivers]

I really don't like the idea that people saying they would have contacted the authorities is them being on a high horse or a "morals messiah". We're not talking about witnessing someone skimming a few bucks from the church collection plate or grabbing a few extra Snickers off of the porch of the guy who's too lazy to actually hand out Halloween candy, and then keeping it to yourself. We're talking about the failure to inform the proper authorities (police) about a mother.f***ing.child.rape. That's not acting holier than thou. It's just the action of a not-terrible person with a soul or even the slightest sense of defending the innocent.

[Kyyle23]

That's what you're insinuating. Yes, we NOW know a rape took place. At the time it was an allegation. It's not about having different standards. Yes, if you know for a fact a crime is being committed, report it. I don't pretend to have this god-like, I always know what to do at any given moment attitude that some here appear to have. I had a friend of mine, 22 at the time, that got decked by her BF while arguing with him. She came to me, as a close friend, and confided to me what happened. And you can definitely tell she got socked. Of course, my first reaction was to call the cops. She BEGGED me not to do that. Literally on her knees. She loved the coward and didn't want me to get involved. So I stayed out of it. Am I a monster now? To be clear, I'm not comparing this situation to a child getting raped. But I don't pretend to be the morals messiah and I laugh when others do.

 

Lets take this one more step if you want to throw analogies. Say your friend turns up dead 3 weeks later after she BEGGED you not to call the police? How do you feel about your inaction then?

 

 

This is my entire thought process in this. I dont blame JoePa for what Sandusky did, I blame him for ignoring it for 10+ years. I blame him for allowing Sandusky to continue his predation of innocent children in the name of PSU. It is not a jailable offense, it is a heartbreaking moral failing. JoePa is not a villain here, he not totally an accomplice, but he definitely played a part in allowing the crime to continue.

 

Yes, they were close friends and I understand that it was probably something he couldnt fully process or understand, but something more should have been done on many many levels to protect the children that looked up to these men and were abused by Sandusky

[Jordan4life_2007]

Lets take this one more step if you want to throw analogies. Say your friend turns up dead 3 weeks later after she BEGGED you not to call the police? How do you feel about your inaction then?

 

 

This is my entire thought process in this. I dont blame JoePa for what Sandusky did, I blame him for ignoring it for 10+ years. I blame him for allowing Sandusky to continue his predation of innocent children in the name of PSU. It is not a jailable offense, it is a heartbreaking moral failing. JoePa is not a villain here, he not totally an accomplice, but he definitely played a part in allowing the crime to continue.

Yes, they were close friends and I understand that it was probably something he couldnt fully process or understand, but something more should have been done on many many levels to protect the children that looked up to these men and were abused by Sandusky

 

So if your best friend threatens suicide do you automatically call the cops or try to talk to him/her yourself? It's a fine-line. There's no right or wrong answer. And I actually agree with everything you said. And the bold is why I think he should be fired. And I said that about 40 posts ago. But I can sympathize with Joe and get an idea on what was going through his head at the time.

[Steve9347]

That's what you're insinuating. Yes, we NOW know a rape took place. At the time it was an allegation. It's not about having different standards. Yes, if you know for a fact a crime is being committed, report it. I don't pretend to have this god-like, I always know what to do at any given moment attitude that some here appear to have. I had a friend of mine, 22 at the time, that got decked by her BF while arguing with him. She came to me, as a close friend, and confided to me what happened. And you can definitely tell she got socked. Of course, my first reaction was to call the cops. She BEGGED me not to do that. Literally on her knees. She loved the coward and didn't want me to get involved. So I stayed out of it. Am I a monster now? To be clear, I'm not comparing this situation to a child getting raped. But I don't pretend to be the morals messiah and I laugh when others do.

In the bolded... you just used that to compare situations.

 

Yes WE NOW know rapes took place. Joe Paterno, and others, KNEW rapes took place 13 years ago. Countless innocent children have been violated since. I don't really understand your point.

[Kyyle23]

So if your best friend threatens suicide do you automatically call the cops or try to talk to him/her yourself? It's a fine-line. There's no right or wrong answer. And I actually agree with everything you said. And the bold is why I think he should be fired. And I said that about 40 posts ago. But I can sympathize with Joe and get an idea on what was going through his head at the time.

 

This is not the same thing J4L. Your friend was hit by her boyfriend. Sandusky abused children. These are known facts that could prevent future crimes. Someone threatening to kill themself is not the same thing.

[StrangeSox]

This is one part where I'm willing to accept that Shack might have a point.

 

The Human Brain has this wierd set of defense mechanisms that kick in under unique circumstances. An outsider might recognize it as simple denial, or a lack of recognition of what is going on around him.

 

It's entirely possible that his brain simply refused to allow himself to see all the flashing lights. These type of things do happen, and they're hard to deal with.

 

That's a fair point and that's why I've shied away from the "I'd have kicked his ass eight ways to Sunday!" talk. Seeing something like that might literally put you into a state of shock, unable to truly comprehend what was going on.

[StrangeSox]

So if your best friend threatens suicide do you automatically call the cops or try to talk to him/her yourself? It's a fine-line.

 

I immediately call someone much more qualified to handle the situation than myself.

[Steve9347]

So if your best friend threatens suicide do you automatically call the cops or try to talk to him/her yourself? It's a fine-line.

Hm. Totally similar situations. Friend takes some pills, 57 year old man rapes an 8 year old.

[Steve9347]

I immediately call someone much more qualified to handle the situation than myself.

Swing and a long one to left...

[Jordan4life_2007]

In the bolded... you just used that to compare situations.

 

Yes WE NOW know rapes took place. Joe Paterno, and others, KNEW rapes took place 13 years ago. Countless innocent children have been violated since. I don't really understand your point.

 

No, we DON'T know Paterno KNEW what was going on. I've read about ten different articles. Did I miss something? Feel free to post something that will set me straight.

 

This is not the same thing J4L. Your friend was hit by her boyfriend. Sandusky abused children. These are known facts that could prevent future crimes. Someone threatening to kill themself is not the same thing.

 

But in 2002 it was an allegation and nothing more. A very serious one. You better be damn sure you've got your facts straight before you go to the police. That type of stuff can ruin someone's life for eternity, innocent or guilty.

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

Swing and a long one to left...

 

In other words, he agrees with me so he's cool.