The Penn State Scandal

The outrage surrounding Happy Valley, Pennsylvania has spread across news outlets nationwide, with fury and passion on both sides of the issue.  On one hand students and die-hard fans cannot believe that Joe Paterno, who has reached god-like status for Penn State fans after serving it for more than half of a century, could be fired after he did inform his superiors that there was something alledgedly going on with Joe Sandusky and the children from his charity.  It seems silly to consider Paterno's feelings when there were children in need who were taken advantage of and sexually abused.  The feelings from both sides just seem to be fueling the fire. 

It seems to me that Joe Paterno was fired by Penn State to prove that the school was much more than a football team.  While he is the head of the team and therefore bears resopnsibility, he did inform his superiors who did nothing.  The head of the university police was fired because alegedly he decided to stop the investigation by the university police.  The president of the school was fired for covering it up also.  But why was Mike McQueary, the man who supposedly witnessed the abuses taking place not fired? Doesn't he bear just as much, if not more, responsibility to go to the police instead of just his superior since he was a direct witness to the event?

McQueary later resigned, while Paterno took the fall and shame of a public sacking in a Caesar-like fashion. Brutus and the Conspirators sneak took down a man to show that they had "done something" because he now had too much power, and was bigger than Penn State University itself.  In the end they all are guilty.  Men sat idly by as they know that children's lives were being ruined and a terrible man was walking free every day.  However it is upsetting to see a man like Joe Paterno, who put more into a university than almost everyone ever has (and not just atheletics, he has donated millions to the schools many libraries), not even be consulted by tyhe Board of Trustees to find a way to exit in as dignified as a way as he has held himself his entire career.

By Kevin

Note: I am not a Penn State fan whatsoever.