Former Penn State Coach Arrested

[AOEforme]

Originally Posted by psusue

Everyone keeps talking about a moral obligation, but a moral obligation cannot supersede protocol.

You're completely right. After all, what would have happened if JoePa hadn't followed protocol???

He could have possibly prevented the rape of several more children, BUT Penn State's program would have suffered.

To me, this mindset is what will tarnish Penn State's reputation. Every facebook status I have seen from Penn State Friends had no mark of concern for the children who were harmed: it was about how JoePa was getting a raw deal. That disgusts me more than anything with this situation.

I get that JoePa is a grandfather and that he is the "head" of your Penn State family, which makes this 1,000x more painful. I would cry if this were happening to my alma mater. But, you cannot say that he wasn't wrong. He made a huge mistake in choosing to "only" report it and, unfortunately, he will have to pay in some manner. While I'm sad that this is how his legacy at Penn State will end (especially since he is my favorite Big 10 coach), I am also much more sad that this grandfather figure was capable of such wrong.

[ASTalumna06]

I've been very back-and-forth about all of this and what to think all day. In most cases, I've played devil's advocate in the conversations I've had with others.

My take on everything: I don't know who to blame. A lot of people dropped the ball. My biggest issue with this all coming down on Joe Pa is that this is ALL coming down on Joe Pa.. because of his position, because he's the coach, because he has "more power" than everyone else. People in this thread have even said that this isn't about sports, it's about a pedophile, and that pedophile not being stopped. And sadly, in all of the conversations I had today about this situation, not one person mentioned Sandusky. Not one.

I'm not disgusted by the students supporting Paterno.. instead, I find myself confused. While I won't be the one standing outside his house cheering, I also won't be the one to point the finger at him and place all of the blame on his shoulders. The fact of the matter is, no one knows what he knew, yet people have taken it upon themselves to fill in the blanks - and either support him, or turn their backs on him completely. And that I don't understand.

I might find that I'm stuck in the middle and not knowing which way to turn until the end of my days, and that's ok with me. I made this same argument in the Casey Anthony thread; that I can't comprehend how someone can feel so strongly about something that might not be true... that someone can stand up and cheer when a person is delivered a verdict that they agree with, or get pissed and be outraged over a verdict that goes against what they think. The only person who knows for sure what happened is Paterno, and he's the only one who has to live with the decisions he made.

It just seems crazy to me that the person who seemingly knew the least, is getting the most flak for what happened.

If Paterno leaves, yes, it will be sad.. and that doesn't mean I'm not saddened by what happened to those kids. It means that it's disappointing to know that someone who's had such a large impact on a college community - an impact that most college campuses will never experience or understand - might have to walk away with people shaking their heads in shame.

Just a few short days ago, if you asked me where Paterno would breathe his last breath, I would have told you there was no doubt in my mind that it'd be within those walls of Beaver Stadium. And now... who knows..?