Wednesday, November 9, 2011

On Penn State and Joe Paterno

I am the AngryFootballNerd, and today, I am truly living up to the first adjective in my name.

I will not rehash the grim details of the situation at Penn State in detail. Former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky raped at least 1 boy (under 14) in the Penn State locker room (he is accused of molestation of many more). It was witnessed, reported to JoePa, who passed it along the line. Sandusky was reprimanded. While still keeping an office on the campus of Penn State until 2008.





And then silence.

FOR YEARS, FUCKING SILENCE FROM EVERYONE WHO WITNESSED IT.

Can you imagine? Can you imagine the very literal HELL that these victims have been living in? Hell at the hands of their abuser, who is certainly the worst that humanity has to offer. Hell at the hands of a school that did little to protect them. Hell at the hands of a coaching legend, who did the legally required minimum and then washed his hands of it.

People are defending Joe Paterno in this case. A reporter at the news conference just blasted the Penn State board of trustees. "How dare you? Did you even consider letting him finish his career with the dignity he deserves, you (shouting over takes him at this point)".

Dignity? DIGNITY?

What about the dignity of the victims of these horrible crimes? Or do they not deserve any, since they haven't coached more games than anybody?

"Maybe we should get a new board!"

Maybe you should be a GOD DAMNED HUMAN BEING YOU FUCK.

"Campus is gonna burn tonight!" I hope it starts with you, Mr. Rape of CHILDREN is ok as long as FOOTBALL.


There are more important things than football. It is a game. It is a fucking game. I love it when my teams win. Few things bring me greater joy than a team I support triumphing in a well-played, hard-fought game of football.

I would trade every win, past present and future, for no child to EVER go through this torture again. I would trade it all if it could somehow prevent ONE child from this.

The students are currently rioting in State College, PA. To them, to EVERYBODY defending the man who enabled this to happen, I ask "What if it was one of your family members? What if you had to watch your brother, cousin, or son go through the worst shit, only to have everyone involved in the end shrug their shoulders and say 'oh well'?"

"But Angry, he reported it! What more could he do? He did all he was required!"

Yes, he did all he was required to by law. By morality? By human decency? Fuck no he didn't do it all.

A man with that much power, who basically could do whatever he wanted on that campus... He told his superior, and he never mentioned it again. With a word from him, Penn State would have moved Heaven and Earth to stop it immediately. Would it take away the hurt the victims already had? Of course not. Could it have prevented these grevious wounds from festering for years? Perhaps.

Was SITTING ON HIS FUCKING ASS the right thing to do? If I have to answer this for you.....

As an adult... No, that isn't enough.

As a human fucking being, it is your job to report suspected abuse, much less known abuse LIKE THIS FUCKING CASE WAS. Do not let it die. Do not say "Well, I told someone, I've done all I can." Do not say "S/He's a friend of mine, the witness is wrong," or "But S/He works with me/goes to church with me/carpools/gets drunk with/DOES ANYTHING IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER you report that.


And after you have reported: You follow up. You call the police. You call the Chief of Police. You call the Mayor, the comptroller, the fucking Governor, congress, the Supreme Court. You call the damned President of the United States of America if you have. BUT YOU DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP THAT CHILD. You do NOT, EVER sit there and fucking say "I've done what is required."

It doesn't matter if it is a single mother who has had the shittiest week of her life. It doesn't matter if it happened just one time never again I promise. It doesn't matter if it is your best friend since first grade. It doesn't matter if it is a football coach who was a week ago a living legend.

Do everything in your power to help children in this situation. Do not just do "what is required." Do everything. No child deserves this.

My name is the AngryFootballNerd. I used to be a Penn State fan.

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