For the past week everyone's been talking about the Penn State University scandal. Jerry Sandusky, a retired assistant football coach at the university, was accused of sexually assaulting young boys. Starting in 1994, it is said that he abused eight boys over a 15 year period. According to sources close to the investigation, he used "The Second Mile", a non profit organization that he established in 1977 for serving the youth of Pennsylvania, to "help" him do this. A grand jury investigation, that went on for two years, found that Sandusky encountered each of the victims through "The Second Mile."
What everyone's really talking about is wether Joe Paterno, head coach of Penn State Football, should be penalized. A former grad assistant caught Sandusky assaulting a 10 year old boy in the shower of the football building. The next day he reported it to Coach Paterno, who then told the athletic directors. The AD's didn't take action beyond reporting it to members of "The Second Mile." At this point, Sandusky was not permitted to bring children into the football building. So in my opinion the real question is, why didn't Paterno go further with the report when the athletic directors didn't take action? He knew what was going on, but didn't do as much as he could to fix it.
Some people believe that he's just as guilty for not reporting the incident further; where others are so supportive of him because of how long he's been at Penn State. While talking to my friends who attend the University, it seems they are really supportive of Coach Paterno and they don't want this scandal to effect their community as a whole. Hundreds of people, including students, have gathered outside his house to show their support; while there have been candle light vigils on the campus supporting the victims.
What's your opinion on this situation? Do you believe Coach Paterno is just as guilty as Sandusky? Is this a moral issue? Do you think Penn State University is going to be greatly affected by this? There are many different opinions and it is a hard topic to discuss, but while thinking about it, put yourself in the position of those families. If the boy being assaulted was your son, cousin, brother, would you think of this differently?
Here is a link to an article and video on the scandal:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/bigten/story/2011-11-06/penn-state-abuse-scandal-chilling/51100830/1
I have a lot of feelings about this scandal. The AD had a responsibility to report what he was told to someone other than "The Second Mile". Witholding information like that is a crime. This is more than just a "moral" issue, it is the difference between right and wrong. Even though I do not know the victims personally, I cannot begin to imagine what they and their families are going through. Sexual assault can haunt a person forever. Had something been done in the beginning, the future rapes could have been prevented.
ReplyDeleteI can also see the other side: a beloved coach and president have been fired, causing students to be upset. However, I personally would not have been able to stand beside my assistant coach and do my job, knowing what he has done. Thus, the students have started protesting. Do I think it is right for the students to riot over it? No. In class on Thursday, we talked briefly about the scandal. While the students at Penn State were rioting, the students at Merrimack were mourning the death of Jize Ma, coming together as a community. As a result, I think that Penn State is going to be forever known for this scandal.
I have talked to many people about this, and we felt that Penn State lives in a sort of bubble, run by football. In their eyes, Joe Paterno could do no wrong. While he was a legendary coach, he made wrong choices, and must accept the consequences. What I want to know is why no one (the graduate assistant, Paterno, or the AD) ever went to the police. Just like the graduate assistant, Paterno had the duty to go to someone else when the AD did nothing. Despite the horrific abuse going on, they all turned a blind eye for the sake of football and their own reputations. After he was fired, the Penn State students' behavior disturbed me. They were rioting and flipping over vans over it, and no one seemed to be concerned at all for the real victims of the situation, the actual abuse victims themselves. Although the candlelight vigil was held and student support for the victims seemed to be finally coming in, it is still not perfect. I read in one article that the sister of one of the victims goes to Penn State, and she has to hear people talking about how unfair it was that Paterno was fired, and joking around about being "Sanduskied." Joe Paterno and the Penn State football staff are not the real victims here: Sandusky's abuse victims are.
ReplyDeletefirst off, I think that Joe Paterno really is just as guilty as Sandusky. He could have done something more to make sure that the incident never occured again. If it was one of my family members being sexually assualted in this situation I would definitely want somebody to assure me that it would not happen again and that Sandusky would be behind bars just like any other sexual predator. As well the grad assistant or the AD's could have taken action in this scandal. I mean you really can't point fingers at just one person. It's just sad to think that this took 15 years and 8 different boys dignity to discover this issue. As for Penn State I feel that not as many students will want to go their because of this incident. Also, this could have happened at any college so maybe some people will realize that and still send their kids there.
ReplyDeleteThe situation recently brought to light at Penn State University is disheartening for several reasons. For one, an assistant athletic coach has been raping countless young and troubled boys for over a decade. Secondly, some people believe that Coach Paterno is not liable for what has happened. Furthermore, the support for Paterno seems to have shadowed the real calamity at hand, the one with young victims of sexual violence. I am absolutely outraged by the fact that some people are still in support of Paterno even after his ‘inaction’ to the sexual violence going on right under his nose. Famous author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once stated in his book Night that neutrality only aids the oppressor. That being said, the fact that Paterno did nothing more to ensure that his assistant coach stopped the molestations and rapes, Paterno did nothing short of helping his assistant coach. He is the most powerful figure at Penn State University because of the football empire he has built and maintained for many years, to say that he could do nothing more is excusing his inexcusable and horribly immoral decision of inaction. Coach Paterno is absolutely just as guilty as Sandusky with regards to this moral question of speaking out against someone beneath him. As seen by constant media coverage, this incident has already greatly affect Penn State University, and will continue to do so for a very long period of time. It’s pathetic that with this issue of sexual violence victims, many people are choosing to overlook the truth, and support their ‘favorite football hero.’
ReplyDeleteI believe Joe Paterno should be penalized, as he only reported to the athletic directors, and knew they did not do much in the way of changing what was going on. Joe Paterno should have reported Jerry Sandusky directly to the police to put an end to the sexual harassment. Knowing what was going on and not doing anything to change it, is just as bad as committing the crime. I also believe the Penn State athletic directors should be penalized, because they only reported the sexual harassment to "The Second Mile” and Sandusky was then only prohibited to bring children into the football building. This penalty still allowed him to sexually assault children elsewhere. The athletic directors were responsible to notify the police, just as much as Paterno was. Once they knew what was going on, they should have immediately notified the police, because, by not doing so, they allowed a crime to continue. I believe that Penn State will be affected, because the public is finding out that a former assistant coach was sexually assaulting children, and the head coach and athletic directors let the actions continue. Also, with the legendary Coach Paterno being fired, it will take time for the renowned football program to be rebuilt. It is disturbing to hear that Penn State students are rioting against the firing of the coach and president, because the students should be thinking about the pain the victims of Sandusky are feeling. These innocent children are scared for life due to this traumatizing event, and the families of the victims probably do not feel better when they hear how Penn State students believe the coach is innocent.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that Joe Paterno should be held accountable for his lack of action in the situation at Penn State. He didn’t report the assault to the police but merely to the athletic directors who told “The Second Mile.” This kind of report isn’t going to keep any children safe, just because Sandusky can’t bring children into the football building doesn’t mean he can’t assault them somewhere else. I think that Penn State is such a large football-based school that no one wants to potentially affect their program so they thought hiding the scandal would be in the best benefit for themselves and not the children at risk. If it was my child being assaulted by Sandusky, and Paterno only reported it to the athletic directors, I would be outraged. Paterno risked the safety of future children to continue to have a strong football program. I believe he should be held accountable, but “The Second Mile” could have reported it to the police too.
ReplyDeleteJust by going over it in class, learning about this topic was pretty shocking. I think to an extent Paterno is guilty. Even though he knew about it, there is only so much he could do to stop this from happening because it was not his actions committing the crime. Penn State University as a whole might be greatly affected by this for future incoming students. Parents might think if there was one person at Penn State that did this, there could be more. Though there may be naïve parents out there that will not allow their kids to attend Penn State (because they might not have looked into it), there are still parents aware that this university is prestigious and provides a very good education. So just because one man has done something horribly wrong and has been penalized for it does not mean Penn State is suddenly a bad school to attend.
ReplyDeleteNow, when thinking about the assaulted being my “son, cousin, brother” it is hard to think about. It does make me think differently in a way that I would agree that anyone who knew about this or was involved should be removed from the school. Penn State would then have a bad rep in my mind.
I don't believe Paterno is AS guilty as Sandusky, but yes I do believe he is somewhat at fault. Yes, he probably stopped Sandusky from hurting this 10 year old boy, but what about the other boys that he harmed after the first report? If the issue had been properly reported, other boys may never have been in that situation. The Athletic Department and members of "The Second Mile" are just as much at fault as Paterno as well because they didn't report it to police or anything. I do think Penn State will be affected of course, Coach Paterno was a legend at that school, everybody at Penn State loved him and he could do no wrong in their eyes. But, it doesn't change the fact that the information he withheld was a morally wrong thing to do. If he knew that it wasn't further reported to police, then he should have done the right thing and reported it to them himself. I have to say, if that boy was my brother or son, of course I would think differently of the situation, it's human nature to be more outraged or defensive about a situation like this if it concerns someone you love and are close to. Either way, Paterno is somewhat responsible for his actions, or lack of actions for that matter.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Joe Paterno is just as guilty as Sandusky because it was Paterno who had the power to stop this from continuing and he was more concern about his football team not the kids being sexual assaulted. It honestly is sickening to hear that he was more concerned about football over this. Penn State is going to greatly affected by this terms of football because people are not going to want to go there. I think that Penn State needs to clean house and get rid of everyone who has been working there for the best twenty plus years. What also is sicken that they continued to play football this year because I think that the program should be stopped for the reminder of the season but apparently in Pennsylvania they care more about football then little boys being sexual assaulted. What also hit me was the charity that kept sending boys to Sandusky when they knew what he was doing too. Some of the boys stayed over Sandusky's house for the night and he also provided luxuries such as golf clubs, hockey equipment, hockey lessons, etc. Sandusky also promised this men that they could walk onto Penn State and play football. Just recently on NBC, Sandusky had interview in which he asked questions about the accusations. here is a link to the whole interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr4x7yzNxg&feature=player_embedded.
ReplyDeleteIn the interview, he proclaims that he was "horsing" around in the showers with a ten year old boy. My heart goes out to all the victims that are suffered from him and more and more victims keep on coming forward. if that was a person related to me who was being sexually assaulted, I would be furious then I am now but I am extreme furious about this case because growing I always played sports and to hear something like this makes me just uncomfortable.
I believe that Paterno is absolutely just as accountable for this scandal, just in a different perspective. Sandusky, who actually committed this frowned upon, morally wrong act should be punished for the scandal of sexually assaulting young boys, while Paterno should be punished for not doing anything about it and not acting to prevent this from happening in the future. This issue is absolutely a moral issue, how can one believe that it is right to sit back and just watch these accounts happen over and over again? The fact that Paterno for all of these years could continue his career at Penn State and know that these acts were being committed without doing anything about them is beyond me. These boys being assaulted are innocent, vulnerable, powerless children.
ReplyDeleteThose who believe Paterno should not have been fired are ignorant. If it was all about the Penn State legacy and keeping his coaching career alive then that is ridiculous, though that is the impression i am getting from this case. There should have been no rioting on campus. Those who against Joe Paterno being fired clearly did not take a look at the contributing factors being taken into account. A child's safety vs. a football legacy? Paterno should have acted much more aggressively. He would have been looked at as still a great football coach as well as a hero.
I do believe that coach Paterno is partially at fault for only reporting the scandal once and not following up on it. I think people are making him out to sound like the bad guy. He did what was morally right and reported the issue as would most people. The problem is that he did not follow up on it. I do not think that he should be held as responsible as the athletic directors because he did his part. If he did not report the issue at all, that would be another story. The fact is, he reported the issue and the athletic director did not do anything about it. He should have followed up and reported the issue again, but he didn't and that is why people are saying he is at fault. Is he at fault? Yes but i still don't think he should be held as responsible nor should he have lost his job over it. He said he was planning on retiring after the season anyway which i think would have been fine.
ReplyDeleteNot only is Paterno guilty, the undergrad and the entire administration are just as guilty because of their lack of action to report the crime they all knew about. It seems to me that these people were more protective of the schools reputation then protecting the innocent young boys. As far as Coach Paterno's supporters go they should all be ashamed of the fact that they are supporting a man who let innocent children get sexually assaulted just because he has a high standing reputation in the school. This issue is absolutely a moral issue. If Paterno had done more to stop this horrible atrocity when it was first brought to his attention think of all the young boys who's innocence could have been spared. I believe he should be held just as responsible as Sandusky and the both of them should be locked up.
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