Yesterday I wrote a lengthy post about Joe Paterno needing to be removed immediately and that he should not be allowed to go out on his terms after the end of this season. Despite horribly screwing up every decision of importance related to this case, Penn State got that one right. This decision was more than just political necessity, it was moral duty.
We find ourselves talking about perspective in the wake of Joe Pa's firing. Many people are arguing that this is unfair and that we must keep perspective and remember that Jerry Sandusky is the criminal and not Paterno. Students have begun rioting and tipping over cars in State College because their beloved demi-god is being removed. I ask those people, and anyone that still supports Paterno to have some perspective of their own and consider this: did Joe Paterno fulfill his bare minimum legal obligation and report what he was told to his superior? Yes. Did he fulfill his role as a man, as a father, as a role model? In no way shape or form can you answer yes to that. He failed completely.
Many of his supporters will point to all the work he has done. They will tell you he and his family have donated more than $4 million dollars to the school and that his program is clean and his players graduate. All of that is fine. Those things are what he has done with people watching. Those things were done to enhance his own legacy. I don't judge him on those things. I judge people on what they do when they don't believe anyone is watching. No one knew of the allegations when they were first reported, and clearly the goal was to keep it quiet. It ended there because it was not brought to public light.
He must be judged for that terrible indiscretion as much as anything else he has done in his career. He is Joe Paterno. He had the clout and power to go over people if needed and do the right thing to protect the children that were being abused by Sandusky. He chose to do nothing. Make no mistake, this wasn't about the kids or the school, this was about Joe Paterno covering his own ass. He did his legal duty and was off the hook.
The American President is one of my favorite and most often quoted movies. One of my favorite lines comes at the end when Michael Douglas gives his big moving speech. He starts the speech by saying,
"That's all right, you can keep your seats. For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character and although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character."
Being a leader of any kind, let alone an iconic football coach at a major university, has to be about character as Douglas suggests. A failing of character like this has to count heavily against someone. It must overshadow many of the other things because this type of failure goes to the very core of who Paterno is and what he was supposed to stand for.
Finally, the students and alumni that continue to treat themselves and the larger Penn State community as victims need to have some perspective. The Penn State family lost a long time football coach who failed to protect young boys when he had the chance. He may not have raped the children, but he stood by and did nothing while it was going on under his roof.
The victims lost the chance to have a happy life. The damage done to them is many times more serious than having a football coach fired. Students and alumni should feel terrible not for his leaving, but for why it was that he left.
When I see people writing comments like,
"Aside from the fact that the blame doesn't belong on Paterno here in the first place, Joe Paterno is a legend, whereas a few boys are just that, a few boys. Paterno deserves more respect." (actually taken from the ESPN comments section), it's clear people are missing the point.
People writing things online like," Joe Pa shouldn't go, Penn State Forever!" clearly don't have any perspective on what they are saying.
You can't want to keep Joe Paterno and continue to take pride in your institution. Paterno represents everything that is wrong with big program football. He put himself above the school and above the safety of children He failed himself and everything he claimed to have stood for. If he was allowed to stay, it would be just another black eye to the tradition that everyone involved wants so badly to protect. Try to keep that in perspective the next time you yell, "We are...Penn State."
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