November 20, 2011:

Ponderings of a Pilgrim PASTOR

“Sad News From Happy Valley”

Joe Paterno was one of the greatest football coaches of the past century. His record of victories at Penn State may never be surpassed. But more than his success as a football coach was his concern to be a leader of high principles. He wanted his players to be student athletes graduating from Penn State. He ran a "clean" program free from the recruiting and other violations which have plagued many university football programs. He was also a generous man. He and his wife gave millions of dollars to Penn State. I believe at least one building was named in his honor. Clearly he deeply loved the school where he had spent his professional life.

Now his reputation and that of Penn State are in tatters. The multi-year sexual abuse by an assistant coach of young boys was (apparently) never reported to the police by Paterno when it was reported to him by another assistant. Instead, the whole matter was passed up the chain of university administrative authority until it was not followed up further. Because of this serious moral lapse, Coach Paterno, Penn State’s President, as well as other coaching and administrative staff members have been dismissed in disgrace. All this is hardly the end of the story.

How could this have happened? Apparently the state of Pennsylvania does not require that university staff members have a legal responsibility to report suspected child abuse to the police. But didn’t they have a moral responsibility to do that? It is hard to understand how otherwise decent people could have turned a blind eye to this abuse for so many years, allowing the predator to continue his criminal behavior. How many boys might have been spared this awful experience if just one person at Penn State had picked up a phone and called the authorities?

One of the most basic concerns of any just society has to be the protection of the weak and vulnerable. When powerful people take advantage of their positions to abuse others and when these offences are ignored by those responsible, there are deep wounds. Penn State may never fully recover. Certainly, the boys who were the victims never will.

Love,
Dave