I cannot contain myself.
I was running at the gym this morning and had 6 TV screens in front of me, all with news from different angles on the horrific crimes against children that took place on Penn State campus and were covered up by at least two administrators, if not more.
One of the most offensive pieces of news footage was the vigil outside Coach Joe Paterno's house last night by a bunch of nimwitted college students. Are you freaking kidding me? Do these imbecils even know what Coach Paterno did? He had a grad student tell him that he personally witnessed another coach raping a little boy, and he did nothing but tell his superiors. He did not inform police, he did not bar that coach from his facilities, he did not prohibit him from bringing more children to the facilities - NOTHING.
What kind of a society have we produced that the first impulse is to hold vigil in support of someone who, at best, was derelict in a moral obligation to do SOMETHING to protect innocent children in his own facility? What about these children?
Who will hold vigil for them?
What must that baby (for a 10 year old little boy is a baby still) have thought as he was being raped in a locker room shower, and looked up and saw that someone had seen the hell he was going through? Did he think that he would be saved? Did he think that someone would help him? Had he been taught that adults would help and protect him if something bad happened? None of these things happened, and I firmly believe that although there may not be legal ramifications for each person who turned a blind eye, there will be far more severe punishments awaiting those who failed to protect the most innocent and helpless.
Shame on every person who failed to make sure this monster never touched another child.
Shame on every person who put an athletic team, their own good name or a university above the value of a little child.
Shame on that young man who failed to do whatever it took to stop a rape he witnessed, and shame on Coach Paterno for not having the moral courage to tell a police officer when it was clear his University superiors would do nothing.
Shame on those idiot Penn State students for not having the brains or heart to hold vigil for the children, and maybe start a fund for their care and therapy instead of vouching for a man they hold as a false idol.
And shame on a society that has grown so heartless as to not have stiffer penalties and more absolute punishment for those who hurt the innocent.
