The initial shock of the child-abuse scandal at Penn State was disturbing enough — but what came later may have been even more so.
That Joe Paterno, other coaches, and members of the administration could have failed in a straightforward, utterly uncomplicated moral task — to protect defenseless children from rape — is almost mind-numbing. No weighing of competing interests or complex variables was required. On one hand, you had children being abused, and on the other, the reputation of a hugely profitable football program. They chose the football program. In a condign coda, they’ve done far more damage to the program’s reputation by choosing the immoral path than they would have by doing the right thing. If the alleged predator, Jerry Sandusky, had been arrested for child abuse in 2002 (or at any point in the previous decade as reports filtered up of his criminal conduct), it would have been a one-day story. Instead, the beloved Joe Paterno has been fired. The president of the university is out, and Penn State stands revealed (and reviled) as a corrupt institution.
Advertisement
When people violate our standards of decency, our desire for justice demands a certain social sanction. A crime or sin is a tear in the social fabric, and our collective disapproval and censure is the way we begin to repair it. When that process breaks down, it makes us feel insecure, and makes the transgression all the more threatening.
So it was almost as dismaying to see the response of a mob of Penn State students to the ouster of Paterno as it was to hear about the child abuse itself. When word of the firings first reached campus, thousands of students surged from their dorms and rampaged down the streets of State College, Pa., blowing air horns and other noisemakers in the middle of the night. They chanted Paterno’s name, threw rocks and fireworks at police, knocked down two light poles, and overturned and crushed a local TV-news truck. According to the New York Times, the mob also tore down street signs, smashed car windows, and tipped over trash cans and newspaper-vending boxes. Call it Occupy State College. The only missing piece was public defecation.
What they intended to convey by this mayhem is less clear. A freshman told the Times that students blamed the media for Paterno’s fall. Ah, so that’s it. Well, then, the only obvious answer is to smash car windows and destroy a news truck.
A handful of the braying barbarians was arrested. But the rest returned to their dorms — presumably to finish their homework for courses in “racial categories” and “postmodern lesbianism.” They probably won’t reflect on the irony of a university — the kind of place where a stray word can get you cashiered for sexual harassment — being responsible for the grossest criminal negligence regarding children.
PlCarl - That's a silly comment. Say what you will about the entire PSU community's response to a grand jury presentment regarding felonies being ham-handed, they DID respond. In the Mann case, they did nothing because a guy cooked some data. I see no parallel at all.
I don't buy the collective guilt-trip. A high-profile sports figure often transcends PE and draws fans and support from across an institution.
Vandalism is criminal regardless of the motive, but this piece isn't about vandalism.
Standing up for "innocent before proven guilty" in the face of a media culture that's largely buried the idea is not the same as flaunting, "So what, who cares what he did - our guy right or wrong".
The truth is no one knows the split of opinion or motivation in that crowd - not even the kids who participated.
But failing to distinguish and painting with such a broad brush isn't the most adult tact to take and may say something about your own moral compass.
I'm pretty sick of my entire community being attacked over the actions (or lack there of) of a very distinct minority.
There are 45,000 students, 85,000 residents in State College and surrounding townships, half-a-million plus alumni. We are all as outraged as anyone. My daughter has a good friend whose life has been turned upside down by all of this. We have instructed her to stand by her friend and support her.
The football program, the band, the other varisity and club sports are made up of thousands of student athletes who work hard, pursue excellence and try their best to do the right thing. To malign them is outrageous. They didn't do anything wrong.
The student vigil that turned into a rally was a statement that the students were not standing by and letting those who would defend those who disgraced themselves at all costs represent us. They stood up for what is right. They said to the world we won't tolerate this in our midst.
And, this non-Penn State grad - I actually went to school where academics are prized - hopes your football program gets shut down.
You deserve it.
The bottom line is that the entire football community - coaches and administrators - actively worked for nearly 15 years to cover up horrendous child abuse by a staff member who was allowed to "retire" and then worked under the table to recruit football players.
You want to stand up for what's right? Demand that Penn State never field another football team.
Oh...aren't you morally superior? PSU doesn't prize academics? Try getting into the engineering or architecture program...
That's right...hurt thousands of people who did nothing wrong...that will fix everything. We should apply this to every scandal of this sort. Shut down the Catholic Church, the Boyscouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, adoption and child welfare agencies...just throw the good out with the bad...
You still don't get it. You still think it's about football. Your argument is that Penn State football is too big to fail. It's not. Kids endured hell because Paterno and other officials decided that protecting the program's image was paramount. Vanity and lust for glory won out. Empty catchphrases like 'we are penn state' and 'success with honor' will be forever tied to the warped priorities that decided more child rapes was a risk worth taking. They will always remind people of the sandusky era. And they will haunt sandusky's victiims every time they're uttered.
SMU football got shut down for lesser offenses. SMU survived and life went on. Shutting down Penn State football one year for every year officials failed to reportp sandusky's crimes would be a reasonable start. Given the predatory nature of sandusky's crimes, keeping a predatory hunter as a mascot would be more tyhan a little tasteless (and disrespectful toward the real victims).
Shutting down Penn State football would be like shutting down a large church. Shutting down the NCAA would be nearest thing comparable to shutting down the entire Catholic church. You're suggesting that seeing the restsurants, bars, hotels and other businesses that feed off the program fail would be a price too steep. You're saying PSU football is too big to fail. It's the same type of thinking that motivated a cover-up in the first place. It's also an insult to Sandusky's victims. It cheapens their pain and suffering.
Young people have trouble grasping that there are larger forces in the world than themselves. The students rioted because they realized they didn't have any power and thus, no say in how PSU reacted to the scandal.
Ms. Charen: your column is a tad late and comes from a place of watching the news. You are supposed to be a journalist; do you often rely on the Times as your primary source material? Notwithstanding your breezily constructed opinion piece, let's deal with issues here. The PennState community which includes alumni and taxpayers of PA like myself, as well as students, is appalled by the failure of the administration to stop Sandusky. The majority of thinking people within the PSU community approve of Joe Paterno's ouster. No one disagrees with the ouster of the President, the Athletic Director or the Finance Director or the suspension of Mike McQueary; all of them failed to fulfill their duties. Moreover, we are appalled at the behavior of a small minority of students who felt that violence of any kind was an appropriate response. Those who reacted in such an immature way are not likely enrolled in any class on Post modern feminism or any other cute litttle cut you can make at the halls of "liberal academia". If you want to find a liberal school, I suggest you go elsewhere; PSU is one of the more conservative public universities in our country. As to the young students who were angered at Paterno's ouster, you have to remember something. He was the face of the University for at least the past 25 years. He was an unprecedented fund raiser and benefactor and part of the reason that sports minded students elected to attend the school. Although I am personally opposed to a skewed priority for athletics, it is the reality of Division 1 Football Schools; a reality that a lot of conservative free marketers created and approve of. Back to the rioting students:how does anyone, adult included react when their icon is ripped out of the mythology? No excuse for violence; no excuse for losing sight of the victims. Understood why it may take the students a while to process emotions re Paterno. Late adolescents have not yet learned that all idols ultimately have feet of clay. We are Penn State was repeated at the end of the vigil not as a football cheer, but as a recognition that Penn State is larger than the football program; that Penn State will focus on the victims and that the Penn State community will continue to make honor and integrity their calling card.
I totally agree. Charen's piece iw a total turkey.
I'm not a PSU or alumn, although I did live in PA for several years, and appreciate the place that PSU occupies in the psyche of the state.
The action of a group of students on the evening of the announcement of Paterno's firing was not appropriate, but represented an extremely small minority of active students on campus.
It would have taken only a small amount time on Charon's part to peruse numerous posts on the internet to appreciate that PSU students and grads were totally dismayed at how the administration had handled the situation regarding Sandusky over the last couple of decades.
Charon obviously has a bone to pick with modern secondary education, and her feeling that it is all a liberal plot of some sort is obvious. However, the scandal at PSU has nothing to do with curriculum or teaching philosophy, it was about money (big time football money) and protection of the image of a program at the expense of appropriate moral decision making.
I would expect better of an NRO writer, and the editorial review staff. You bring yourself down to the level of Fox News with this kind of rubbish..
She did acknowledge the students who really are ashamed of the episode.
I have looked at the comments... I find an unsettling amount of buffoons typing "this is a witch hint.. WE ARE PENN STATE " as if school pride is how you're supposed to react to a two decade long child sex abuse coverup. And then you guys argue about details like if we only knew about Joe's REAL intentions while he was watching Sandusky still come to the campus with children, then we would understand that it's all alright and stop talking so much about the victims.
You guys are sympathizers and you're ad hominem attacking Mona Charen for the same reason those kids throw spirit rallies at prayer vigils!
For the record, I am not a PSU sympathizer.My only sympathy is for the children and their families. However, I hope I am a realist observer. I do not view the scrutiny of Penn State right now to be a witch hunt--there is no degree of investigation that is too much as far as I am concerned. Institution speak and thought are inculcated in many universities, businesses and churches. it ultimately proves to be the downfall of many. It is why Sandusky had carte blanche authority to continue preying on children. Paterno's legacy will now be left to the milllions he raised and donated to the school. His "Grand Experiment" is tarnished forever. As further inquiries are made into the program, any irregularities or illegal activities that surface will obliterate the folk hero status of Joe Pa, formerly viewed as last defender of the old fashioned notion of student athletes. Failing to get police involved in 2002, is in my view unpardonable. Paterno coached and then coached with Sandusky for over 35 years. He had to know that something was not right with Sandusky. As if his sins of omission were not enough to morally indict him for his failure to champion the victims, yesterday's WSJ front page story about Paterno telling PSU president Spanier to fire the Assistant Dean for trying to hold football students to the student code of conduct pretty much kills Paterno's image as champion of the student athlete.
School pride is what fuels those of us who wish for the University to bring an end to the system which allowed this to happen. For me " We are Penn State" reflects hope for the future as much as revulsion of the present.
I guess you didn't really read my comment, or "you guys" is directed at someone else.
i think I made it pretty clear that I myself found the PSU administration actions in NO doing something about Sundusky at least 13 years ago outrageous, that my own perusal (extensive) of a variety of sources in the weeks after the story broke to show a vast majority of people felt the same way, including PSU alumns and fans, that a majority of comments I have read, and conversation I have had with people of various political ilk indicate people would have taken actions themselves to stop sexual abuse of a child, and that making a big deal out of the actions of a small group of students (getting unruly) and trying to make a big deal out of it as far as saying something about the larger group fo PSU students and alumns is ridiculous.
Mostly I would quarrel with your comment that Mona is supposed to be a journalist. Perhaps, but I tend to view sites like NRO and Weekly Standard as editorial advocates. Not really reporting news so much as picking up and commenting on reports in a way that pushes an agenda (even if it is an agenda to which I generally subscribe).
I think that Mona is correct in taking on the riots at PSU -- they got quite a bit of attention when they occurred, even if they consist of a minority of students. Unfortunately, some rioting is to be expected when dealing with situation where a large group of people worship football more than basic moral values.
I agree Mona is off the mark with the liberal feminism classes, though. I highly doubt the people taking those classes comprised a noteworthy percentage of rioters. Everything has to fit into an "academia is liberal and evil" narrative here on NRO.
Penn state is NOT a "conservative campus". PSU invited Larry Flynt as a guest speaker five months before the 2002 shower incicent. (Flynt was speaking out against censorship. The same faculty that praised Flynt's stand against censorship didnt have a problem with Michael Mann's efforts to silence dissenters.) Gloria Steinem was another notable guest speaker. Faculty members also helped organize a "Sex Faire" on campus. Flynt made an encore appearance at PSU a few yesrs ago
I lived a few miles from campus from 2001 to 2004. PSU's athletic dept held a father/son basketball camp on campus each father's day. It was a two day event that involved overnighting in athletic dorms and a few meals witb coaches and staff members. And it was a money-maker. My wife signed my son and I up for the 2004 father's day bball camp. PSU officials had known for years that a sexual predator on their staff had abused at least one child in their athletic facilities, that the predator lived near campus, and still used the athletic facilities. Absolutely disgusting.
Have people forgotten the Penn State Michael Mann "Climategate" scandal of creating a "hockey stick" of false temperature data. Penn State cleared him of wrong doing. Wasn't Michael Mann a punter on the football team?
Follow
