We do not know all of the details of what was reported to Coach Joe Paterno on that fateful day in 2002, when then grad-assistant Mike McQueary told the head coach that he’d witnessed something. Based on the available information, though, it is not difficult to understand why JoePa is coming under so much scrutiny. In fact, in the statement that Paterno released this morning announcing his resignation at the end of the year, he admits that “[with] the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.” This is a sad admission by a man who has always appeared to be directed more by principle than popular opinion, but it also raises the point that leaders are held to a higher standard. With positions of leadership comes greater responsibility, and the evidence (i.e. Paterno’s own admission) seems to indicate that Coach JoePa did not act accordingly.
Apparently, there are others who also share the fault. Athletic director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz have both left Penn State as result of the their involvement, or lack thereof, with the situation. Then there’s Mike McQueary who witnessed the aforementioned incident. Why didn’t he go to the police or be more proactive at the time about what he saw? Granted, he is not the face of Penn St., but what was he thinking that didn’t warrant immediately calling the police? (Here’s an interesting article that may shed some light.) Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan stated on Monday, “I don’t think I’ve ever been associated with a case with this type of eyewitness identification of sex acts taking place where the police weren’t called.” McQueary is culpable. So is Paterno, and all who had some knowledge of the matter (Joe Boylan doesn’t pull any punches in his editorial).
On Monday, Matt Millen, ESPN analyst and former player at Penn St., broke down in the middle of an interview and said, “if we can’t protect our kids, we, as a society, are pathetic.” I think Mr. Millen is saying far more than he may even realize. The simple fact of the matter is that our society does not promote the protection of our children. Rather, it promotes exposure and loss of innocence through a wide array of means. Consider still more, if a society is willing to kill children while they are still in the womb – the place of places that should be one of nurture, protection and security – doesn’t it necessarily follow that there will be those in such a society that will be willing to abuse children once they’re outside the womb? What happened at Penn State is a microcosm of America today. And while horror and outrage are understandable (even right) responses, a healthy dose of self-examination should not be neglected. Individuals and societies reap what they sow. Given the evidence, the results are hardly happy.