Pennsylvania governor orders flags to be flown at half staff - agree or disagree

[goofy!]

Next, lets remember that in 2002, the football team was just coming off two losing seasons. While it's true that people weren't clamoring for Coach Paterno's resignation, one can assume that he didn't have too much ability to threaten. Also, it's not really in his nature to make the kind of threats that you propose. He was more of a straight shooter, in your lane, kind of guy. He reported what he had heard to the people that were supposed to deal with it. I can't imagine that he would think that it would be necessary to threaten them at that time.

So, he was worried about his job, his reputation and the school's reputation. All valid reasons for turning a blind eye to boys being raped.

There are no excuses, period, for not following up on a reported child molester when you see nothing has been done.

 

[happygirl]

I think that what's sad is that many believe that it's just a game and that a person can get no more out of the experience than how to play football. Thankfully, people like Coach Paterno disagree with that position.

LOL Wow Football doesn't cure cancer or lead to a better world.

 

[declansdad]

I believe taht you truly believe what you typed. However, your position doesn't seem to be supported by the facts. I'll not make my mind up based on your or any one else's attempt at reading a dead man's mind.

So that I understand your position, you are saying because he reported it the his superiors, which you say was the protocol for the day; that absolves him from any further need to say anything? When his superiors did nothing else, he didn't need to worry about it because he did what protocol said he should do.

 

[declansdad]

I think that what's sad is that many believe that it's just a game and that a person can get no more out of the experience than how to play football. Thankfully, people like Coach Paterno disagree with that position.

I agree with you that being involved in sports at any level teaches you much more than how to play the game but that still doesn't make a coach a great person.

I am sure that Joe Paterno helped many people and to them, he deserves the accolades he received and they will continue to think of him in that way. Although I am fairly confident that for some of them, he will have come down a notch for what happened at Penn State. For the general public, with no ties to Penn State, they will have a hard time justifying his actions.

 

[Heidict]

Paterno was not in charge of Sandusky in 2002.
Ummm, it was McQueary that turned his back on a child who was being abused. Paterno wasn't told about it until a day or two later.

So many people in these threads are simply feeding off of each other's rancor, rather than considering the actual facts. It's truly troubling.

I know that he did not personally witness this particular incident and that he was getting the report after the fact from McQueary. I know that he reported it. What I don't understand is the fact that he turned a blind eye after the fact. Someone (apparently not under his charge, thank you for clearing that up) was being accused of raping a young boy. I just don't understand how someone could "drop the ball".

Edited to make correction.

 

[sbell111]

So, he was worried about his job, his reputation and the school's reputation. All valid reasons for turning a blind eye to boys being raped.

Don't twist my words. It doesn't make you seem smarter.

There are no excuses, period, for not following up on a reported child molester when you see nothing has been done.

How could he 'see that nothing is done'? He would have no knowledge as to whether anything has been done by the university, police, or DA since those people do not and would not report to him. This is especially true since he was neither a witness nor was he Sandusky's superior.

LOL Wow Football doesn't cure cancer or lead to a better world.

Lot's of great people don't cure cancer. Most all of them, actually. As to whether his actions led to a better world, I think that most people who actually looked into the things that he did would agree that his actions over the course of his life certainly did improve the world. If that's your litmus test as to whether the governor did the correct thing, then most should agree with the governor.

So that I understand your position, you are saying because he reported it the his superiors, which you say was the protocol for the day; that absolves him from any further need to say anything? When his superiors did nothing else, he didn't need to worry about it because he did what protocol said he should do.

He would have no knowledge of whether his supervisor's did anything else. He wouldn't be in that loop.

I agree with you that being involved in sports at any level teaches you much more than how to play the game but that still doesn't make a coach a great person.

If the only thing he ever did with his life was teach people how to play football, I would agree with you.

I am sure that Joe Paterno helped many people and to them, he deserves the accolades he received and they will continue to think of him in that way. Although I am fairly confident that for some of them, he will have come down a notch for what happened at Penn State. For the general public, with no ties to Penn State, they will have a hard time justifying his actions.

I have no ties to Penn State.

 

[luvmy3]

Finally, (this goes back to the 'times have changed' position) he didn't witness anything. He heard second hand after a day or two delay that someone outside of his sphere of responsibility might have abused a child who also had nothing to do with his sphere of responsibility. He might certainly have reasonably believed that he couldn't or shouldn't file a complaint about such actions. Instead, he took the reasonable (and legally appropriate) action of reporting what he had been told to those who were in positions of responsibility over the situation, the university president and the athletic director.

When we know or suspect a child is being raped, we all have a responsibility to make sure something is done about it. How sad it is when passing the buck on that becomes "good enough". He told his superiors, so what, wth didn't he tell the Police? he didn't pursue it after it was clear Sandusky wasn't arrested for rape of a minor? I guess it didn't matter at that point, as long as his superiors knew, they could ban Sandusky from bringing any more boys to the campus from then on. He can continue to rape them elsewhere, but they can make sure its not done in their showers anymore. That was what they responsible for, protecting the rep of all involved and the school's precious football program. How sickening that anyone could defend any of it.

So that I understand your position, you are saying because he reported it the his superiors, which you say was the protocol for the day; that absolves him from any further need to say anything? When his superiors did nothing else, he didn't need to worry about it because he did what protocol said he should do.

Sounds like it. Truly unbelievable.

I know that he did not personally witness this particular incident and that he was getting the report after the fact from McQueary. I know that he reported it. What I don't understand is the fact that he turned a blind eye after the fact. Someone (apparently not under his charge, thank you for clearing that up) was being accused of raping a young boy. I just don't understand how someone could "drop the ball". How could he continue to allow this man into the locker room, around young boys, and not follow up?

How can anyone call him a great man?

 

[sbell111]

I know that he did not personally witness this particular incident and that he was getting the report after the fact from McQueary. I know that he reported it. What I don't understand is the fact that he turned a blind eye after the fact. Someone (apparently not under his charge, thank you for clearing that up) was being accused of raping a young boy. I just don't understand how someone could "drop the ball".

I have seen no evidence that Coach Paterno 'turned a blind eye' on anything. He reported what he knew, but he didn't really know anything, specifically.

It should be noted that there was no actual accusation of rape at that time. McQueary has stated that he didn't specifically tell Coach Paterno that he thought the boy was being raped. (This is believable since he also didn't do anything to remove the boy from the situation.) All Coach Paterno was apparently told is that McQueary thought that some kind of inappropriate contact might have been going on.

How could he continue to allow this man into the locker room, around young boys, and not follow up?

Coach Paterno did not have the authority to bar Sandusky from the facilities. That had to come from the Athletic Director. The fact that Sandusky wasn't barred after Paterno reported McQueary's story probably sent the message to Paterno that an investigation into the matter found that Sandusky didn't do anything inappropriate.

 

[MIGrandma]

I voted no, he should not be honored.

I think that should be left for service men and women who give their lives, a president (current or former), vice-president, etc.

 

[sbell111]

When we know or suspect a child is being raped, we all have a responsibility to make sure something is done about it. How sad it is when passing the buck on that becomes "good enough". He told his superiors, so what, wth didn't he tell the Police? he didn't pursue it after it was clear Sandusky wasn't arrested for rape of a minor? I guess it didn't matter at that point, as long as his superiors knew, they could ban Sandusky from bringing any more boys to the campus from then on. He can continue to rape them elsewhere, but they can make sure its not done in their showers anymore. That was what they responsible for, protecting the rep of all involved and the school's precious football program. How sickening that anyone could defend any of it.

Coach Paterno didn't 'know or suspect' that a child had been raped because that is not what McQueary told him. As such, he had no expectation that Sandusky would be arrested for the rape of a child and wouldn't be surprised when Sandusky wasn't arrested for something that Coach Paterno knew nothing about.

 

[goofy!]

So many people in these threads are simply feeding off of each other's rancor, rather than considering the actual facts. It's truly troubling.

I am pretty sure 73.33% of the people on this thread are considering the actual facts.

What is truly troubling are the 26.7 who are trying to sweep the facts under the rug in order to worship this pathetic old man.

Legendary Football Coach? Absolutely

A Pathetic old man with no moral values and character: Absolutely

 

[Heidict]

I
Coach Paterno did not have the authority to bar Sandusky from the facilities. That had to come from the Athletic Director. The fact that Sandusky wasn't barred after Paterno reported McQueary's story probably sent the message to Paterno that an investigation into the matter found that Sandusky didn't do anything inappropriate.

That is why there are so many that are culpable in dropping the ball on this. It went up the chain and their reaction to it was so sad. These boys slipped through the cracks. I understand that the last thing they wanted was to have a former coach be accused of child molestation, but they put the name and protection of that name above the safety and well being of children. Paterno does hold some guilt in not reacting properly to the report and the follow up and I'm sure he would have done things differently if he knew how it would turn out years later. But I believe that the higher ups are even more guilty.

 

[HelenePA]

LOL Wow Football doesn't cure cancer or lead to a better world.

it does when your donations build a hospital wing or put students thru college on your donations letting them become dr's...

WE ARE!

 

[sparklynails23]

The governor sits on the board of trustees of Penn State, and he wants the Penn State votes. His AG office started this whole investigation that got JoePa fired, so the governor's playing both sides. If I ran a government building, especially one in charge of child welfare, I wouldn't bother with the flag on Joe Pa day.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

Don't twist my words. It doesn't make you seem smarter.
How could he 'see that nothing is done'? He would have no knowledge as to whether anything has been done by the university, police, or DA since those people do not and would not report to him. This is especially true since he was neither a witness nor was he Sandusky's superior.

He would have no knowledge of whether his supervisor's did anything else. He wouldn't be in that loop.

Hogwash! I don't know about you but if someone told me that they had seen a child being abused and I reported that fact to someone I wouldn't rest until I saw them in jail! I certainly wouldn't spend the next 7 years saying 'hi' to a guy who I knew was still spending time with vulnerable young boys after I'd been told about the abuse...would you?

If the only thing he ever did with his life was teach people how to play football, I would agree with you.

No you're right that wasn't all he did...he also, by his inaction, allowed god knows how many young boys to be abused...way to go Joe, what a guy!

 

[HelenePA]

I voted no, he should not be honored.

I think that should be left for service men and women who give their lives, a president (current or former), vice-president, etc.

Well he was in the army for a year if that counts... why only a year I have no idea... then he went to Brown... must look that up later

He served during WWII. I guess it ended and he got out.

 

[sbell111]

That is why there are so many that are culpable in dropping the ball on this. It went up the chain and their reaction to it was so sad. These boys slipped through the cracks. I understand that the last thing they wanted was to have a former coach be accused of child molestation, but they put the name and protection of that name above the safety and well being of children. Paterno does hold some guilt in not reacting properly to the report and the follow up and I'm sure he would have done things differently if he knew how it would turn out years later. But I believe that the higher ups are even more guilty.

I think that Coach Paterno would have acted differently if he knew that a boy had been raped. I think that had McQueary told him that when he came to his house, then Coach Paterno would have probably made him (McQueary) go to the police station right then and report what he saw.

However, Coach Paterno didn't get that from McQueary. McQueary didn't tell him that he thought that the boy was being raped. He soft peddled it. That fact and the fact that Coach Paterno could not imagine a man doing that to a boy, resulted in Coach Paterno not understanding what truly happened.

 

[jrmasm]

The governor sits on the board of trustees of Penn State, and he wants the Penn State votes. His AG office started this whole investigation that got JoePa fired, so the governor's playing both sides. If I ran a government building, especially one in charge of child welfare, I wouldn't bother with the flag on Joe Pa day.

I believe it's been reported that Corbett actually stopped his office from investigating when he was the AG. It was after he left office that the matter was pursued by his replacement.

 

[Princess Dolly]

I'm not in PA so this flag thing doesn't affect me, put me down as a don't care. Though do mark me down as one who is not a Joe Paterno supporter.

What is making my teeth sweat is seeing people say half-mast. It's only half-mast on a ship, otherwise it is half-staff (like the OP said).

Now back to your disagreeing....

 

[goofy!]

Don't twist my words. It doesn't make you seem smarter.

Why thank you very much for the advice. A personal attack on one's intelligence is all you can justify your reasoning with?