What
Chicago is talking about this week:
... the 267 pages (reduced to a "cloud bubble" in the image to the left) of a report that is just one more forward-moving step in what will be a long long journey toward healing for a community and a university -- and perhaps most importantly, for the victims of a child predator.
And, just as before, armchair quarterbacking has evolved to armchair "ethic-izing", and many seem eager to pile on to the notion of hoisting Paterno on his own petard, [to bastardize a quote from a classic fictional epic tragedy], seemingly ready to make the assertion that these boys are now all JoePa's victims instead of just Jerry's.
Because the crimes committed against the innocent were so heinous, it seems easier to process this by finding a way to place the blame and to posit suggested sanctions against the university's current football program. "Shut down the program", say some, and ... "allow the players to transfer out at no penalty". To me, that seems a little like making the sons pay for the sins of the fathers, and in wanting to see something symbolic to help release the pain and guilt and suffering caused by the situation, suggestions that would punish the wrong group of people.
If only as much energy that is being spent on all of this armchair commenting was instead directed to helping the victims of the abuse. If only Chris Hansen had somehow intervened and captured footage of the predator in the act. If only the initial investigation had been successful and had taken Sandusky away before he could groom others (and the disappearance of Ray Gricar remains one of the most shadowy aspects of this whole thing, a mystery with no new leads even after the Freeh report). The "if onlys ..." could go on and on for infinity.
In retrospect ... for some, it's a shocker -- JoePa was human and made mistakes. In my opinion, if that catches you by surprise, then shame on you for buying into a cult of celebrity and in being blinded by your own shortsightedness. But let's not let shortsightedness become an epidemic and let's not have people confuse what a legacy is. It's unmistakable that the Sandusky situation will be an ever present footnote, but the legacy of Joe Paterno will be the program that he built and the focus that he placed on creating true student athletes and the good that he did in that community (Sandusky notwithstanding).
Finally, here are the closing paragraphs of the family statement that was released this week:
"
Joe Paterno wasn't perfect. He made mistakes and he regretted them. He is still
the only leader to step forward and say that with the benefit of hindsight he
wished he had done more. To think, however, that he would have protected Jerry
Sandusky to avoid bad publicity is simply not realistic. If Joe Paterno had
understood what Sandusky was, a fear of bad publicity would not have factored
into his actions.
We appreciate the effort that was put into this
investigation. The issue we have with some of the conclusions is that they
represent a judgment on motives and intentions and we think this is impossible.
We have said from the beginning that Joe Paterno did not know Jerry Sandusky was
a child predator. Moreover, Joe Paterno never interfered with any investigation.
He immediately and accurately reported the incident he was told about in 2001.
It can be argued that Joe Paterno should have gone further. He should
have pushed his superiors to see that they were doing their jobs. We accept this
criticism. At the same time, Joe Paterno and everyone else knew that Sandusky
had been repeatedly investigated by authorities who approved his multiple
adoptions and foster children. Joe Paterno mistakenly believed that
investigators, law enforcement officials, University leaders and others would
properly and fully investigate any issue and proceed as the facts dictated.
This didn't happen and everyone shares the responsibility."
And after the discussions of power and money and corruption and culpability eventually fade, I would argue that we also all share the responsibility for the healing to begin -- which means focusing on assisting the victims and on increasing the awareness that is necessary to stop these types of predators from continuing their abuse, not on the misdirection of grafting Sandusky's legacy on to Paterno's legacy.
Of course, that's just me sitting in my armchair expressing myself, so take it for what that's worth ...
THE FREEH REPORT, DOWNLOADABLE:
THE PATERNO FAMILY STATEMENT:
SUPPORT THE VICTIMS OF ABUSE:
