#1 I saw one of those informal polls on Thursday that a Web site will do (can't remember if it was the Centre Daily newspaper or the CBS affiliate out of Harrisburg -- channel 21).
They asked whether the Board of Trustees did the right thing by firing Paterno.
At that time -- and again I'm not claiming it's a "scientific" representation -- but it provides a "glimpse" of an indication...the % breakdown was something like:
50% agreed with the BOT
35% disagreed with the BOT
The other 15% said to wait -- to allow more investigation-wise before acting
I would thereby guestimate then at least 1/3rd of Penn Staters informally sanction the idea that Joe's cover-up was a "good idea."
Of course, if you word it that way, they'd probably say "no way." But the bottom line here is a % somewhere in that neighborhood are still more a part of the initial problem than upholding a spirit of repentance that could lead to becoming part of the solution.
Allow me to summarize what I'm saying here with a Bible passage from 2 Peter (2:6-8):
6 ...if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was DISTRESSED by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was TORMENTED in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—
My "cultural" observation thus far of College Station...and I am by NO MEANS culturally omniscient...so I confess I could be off-base...
...is that so many folks have been more "distressed" and "tormented" (2 Pet. 2:7-8) over JoePa's departure...
...than what the apostle Peter described as the "depraved conduct of the lawless" and "lawless deeds" (same verses) ... which has included the very sanctioning of that conduct and deeds that led to his departure.
It reminds me of how some college students react to the pro-life movement that takes abortion placard trucks and art displays from campus to campus -- with these pictures all depicting aborted babies.
The "pro-choice" students seem inevitably more offended at the people who have brought the pictures than they are over the acts that led to these babies being aborted! How upside down!
These students are essentially part of the "pro-choice cult."
In the same way, Penn State has left the perception that it idolizes the cult personality of JoePa.
There's almost no sense reminding these personality cult members that JoePa has human sinful qualities along with the rest of us. He could ne'er do wrong in their eyes because they have culturally predetermined him to be a "god."
And the Penn State culture has reinforced that for how many decades now?
Hence, this is a corporate cultural matter...a pool of water that ALL in State College have been swimming in for anywhere from one year to decades.
I would thereby guestimate then at least 1/3rd of Penn Staters informally sanction the idea that Joe's cover-up was a "good idea."
I think that’s a bit of a stretch and before you go off on me, here is why.
First of all let me say I’m not in any way supporting Paterno, who I once held in high regard but no more, and I think the BOT did the right thing and should have done it long before the proverbial crap hit the fan. And sure, there are some folks here in PA including I’m sure some PSU students who idolize JoePa and PSU football and think him incapable of any wrong doing (heck, there are a few here as well).
However I saw a few PSU students interviewed recently on local TV. Among some of those who felt the BOT was wrong, they clarified in saying that while it wasn’t necessarily wrong for the BOT to fire Paterno, at least some were upset with how it was handled. They felt that the BOT should have notified Paterno in person of the firing and before making it public and not doing it late at night as they did. Some thought that more needed to be known about Paterno’s involvement in any cover up before summarily firing him in the middle of the night. I'm not sure I agree but I understand their point.
If the poll was worded differently, say instead of “Did the Board of Trustees do the right thing by firing Paterno” and instead asked “If Paterno is found to have covered up for Sandusky…” I think the poll results might be very different. Polls are funny that way and wording is everything and that is why I take them, especially informal internet polls with a big grain of salt.
Again, I think what happened was vile, disgusting, deplorable and inexcusable. A lot of people seem to have known about Sandusky and did very little about it. And all of those people need to be held accountable, JoePa included. Even if some of the PSU officials did what was “legally” required, and I have some doubts that they did do all that was legally required, certainly many did not do what was ethically and morally required.
But I do not want to jump on the lynch mob band wagon either. I think of the Duke Lacrosse Case. There were innocent people smeared in that case in the court of public and media opinion before all the facts were known.
I read the grand jury report and it’s sickening. However there have been some posts on FR calling for Sandusky’s wife to be hauled off to jail because some surmise that she must have known or must have been involved herself. Some have proposed the whole university be shut down as they are; the faculty and student body (or at least a large number of them) all perverts. I think that’s hyperbole.
I hope that now that the GJ report is out and charges have been filed, that there is justice for the truly innocent victims and that Sandusky and anyone who covered for him get all they deserve. But that will be decided in a court of law.
It should also be mentioned that several thousand PSU students last night held a candle light vigil for the victims in this case and for all victims of child abuse.
I seriously doubt that 35% of the PSU students or residents of PA sanction pedophilia and child abuse and any cover up of such crimes.