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That is a swell epitaph.</p>
<p>And then told ourselves it was taken care of.</p>
<p>& ignored that nagging voice that said we should have followed up. and…and…</p>
<p>Actually I work for myself- so I take care of things myself- I wouldn’t know how to refer something & have always believed in the axiom, “if you want something done right, do it yourself.”</p>
<p>I think that ‘kicking a problem upstairs and assuming that it’s been handled’ is one thing if it’s something minor and something which doesn’t present itself to you again. However, something of this nature and the fact that the individual concerned worked with you/was present on a daily basis, and in the continued company of minors, is not something that should have then been assumed to have been ‘handled’. I’m not a hater of Joe Paterno, I think that he no doubt did much good in his life but these issues cannot be ignored, nor should they be. I heard a comment on one of the news channels yesterday that I think provided a good descriptor of the situation - “Paterno had a life of tremendous achievement marred by a grievous error.”</p>
<p>FYI Charlieschm…
a few years ago PSU officials met with with Paterno at his home in an attempt to persuade him to retire gracefully with the inevitable and appropriate honors; reputedly he told them to ‘get the hell out of my house.’ Thus, I’m not convinced that a similar effort would have had any different result this year.</p>
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<p>And not one iota more. Which, in view the serious nature of the information he was given about Sandusky’s conduct, was woefully insufficient to the occasion.</p>
<p>Joe Paterno perfectly fits the definition of a Greek tragic hero - a great man who achieves many great things but in the end is undone, despite his good intentions, by some flaw, mistake, or shortcoming on his part.</p>
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<p>Doing the minimum and not one ounce more is rarely a hallmark of greatness.</p>
<p>Secondly, the above gets quoted over and over again-people who say it conveniently leave out this part: Certain people are mandated reporters. However, those who are not mandated reporters are ALWAYS, ALWAYS able to report, and they may do so anonymously.</p>
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<p>So he should have investigated the alleged act, arrested the man, tried him, and executed him all by himself?</p>
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<p>No, but there is a WHOLE lot of middle ground between doing nothing more and being superman as described above.</p>
<p>Paterno was a wuss. Oh I didn’t do more cause I wasn’t sure how to handle this was bs. An excuse. That in 58 years there was never anything like this was kind of a big fat lie.</p>
<p>He could have redeemed his legacy but he chose to still protect a pedophile and those that covered for him</p>
<p>All he did for Penn state was not this magnanimous life, it was a life of applause, cheers, look at me, etc. He died an old man who chickened out. </p>
<p>I don’t find him a hero. He coached football. He didn’t save lives. He raised money. </p>
<p>Those who adulate him sow must have a warped sense of what makes a hero. He was a coach. He won football games, er rather, he taunt othersnhownto win, and in the last several years barely did that.</p>
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<p>LOL interesting conclusions you are jumping too there, from performing actions above state law to execution lol.</p>
<p>I agree with coureur, he really is a tragic hero.</p>
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<p>Uh . . . how about picking up the phone and calling the police? Let them investigate and make the arrest, and let the DA handle it from these. That’s their job, and what McQueary had reported to Paterno was a very serious crime.</p>
<p>Or how about chewing out McQueary for not sticking around to make sure the kid was OK and waiting a day before telling anyone, instead of reporting it immediately to the police as McQueary should have done. Instead, Paterno says he told McQueary, “You did the right thing to report it to me,” and then just quietly kicked it upstairs and apparently never followed up. That sends McQueary the unmistakable message, “Don’t go to the police; keep it quiet and in-house, that’s how we do things here in Happy Valley, at least in my football program.”</p>
<p>JoePa was a great football coach, and yes, he made a very positive difference in a lot of young men’s lives. But his legacy will always be stained by this. It’s sad, but all he accomplished over the course of an amazing career doesn’t excuse his failure to take stronger steps to stop an alleged child molester.</p>
<p>bc- in the grand jury testimony Schultz states he believed that Child Services was notified. We now know that was not the case but how do we know Paterno was not told that Child Services was involved?</p>
<p>Do we have any idea what Schultz told Paterno was being done?</p>
<p>For the attorneys that post here- does Paterno’s death impact the perjury trial?</p>
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<p>I think the fact that Paterno continued to come into contact with Sandusky on the grounds of PSU would have indicated to him that nothing much had been done. I find it hard to believe that Paterno was never notified that Sandusky had been banned from bringing boys on Campus. He had to have known that. I don’t believe that he just sat back and never asked what was being done. He seemed to know everything that was going on if it related to the football program. I think it was a case of “well, I did my part by passing it on and whatever they decided to do is fine with me as long as it doesn’t make waves.” Just speculating, of course.</p>
<p>I just don’t know how to reconcile the acts that took place, that were witnessed and reported, with the pictures of Paterno with his hand on Sandusky’s shoulder and the one of McQueary shaking hands with S after the 2002 event.</p>
<p>Progressive dementia could explain it. I doubt it, but it’s possible. I can list some other more sinister possibilities, but I won’t.</p>
<p>^ Although he looked a little frail and weak, he was perfectly lucid and sharp mentally in his last interview about a week before his death.</p>
<p>OOohhh… you mean mini was talking about Paterno having progressive dementia?? ;)</p>
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<p>there was still time for him to be charged.</p>
<p>He admitted himself that he should’ve done more.</p>
<p>If your child was anally raped by Sandusky, would you be saying the same thing? I doubt it.</p>
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<p>He did have a positive impact on many.</p>
<p>He also looked the other way while the facilities that he raised money for were used to rape children.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what the appropriate ratio is to even out between “football players that he impacted” and “children that were raped on his watch”… maybe 20 football players per child? maybe more? maybe less? what number do you think is appropriate?</p>
<p>it takes a lifetime to build a legacy… it only takes one event to ruin it.</p>
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<p>You’ve never done anything that you looked back on and said “I could have done this differently…”? You’re much better than any of us if so.</p>
<p>Hindsight is 20/20 afterall…</p>
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<p>Yep, because he didn’t arrest the guy himself he “looked the other way…”</p>
<p>why no rage against Sandusky??? this article infuriates me, to read that Jerry Sandusky is expressing feeling sad for Paterno’s death. “This is a sad day! Our family, Dottie and I would like to convey our deepest sympathy to Sue and her family,” </p>
<p>Really Jerry??? you are incapable of any sympathy you sociopathic animal! You are a destructive monster and you pretend to offer condolences.</p>
<p>Read more: <a href=“http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-01-22/jerry-sandusky-reaction-to-joe-paterno-death#ixzz1kLh3Wa7X[/url]”>http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-01-22/jerry-sandusky-reaction-to-joe-paterno-death#ixzz1kLh3Wa7X</a></p>
<p>something is distorted on this thread in the complete focus on Paterno…particularly since the man just died. I do hold him accountable for not doing enough, however, there is no anger at Sandusky. weird. and as for Paterno’s last days, how do you know he wasn’t devastated his last days on earth about this tragedy. frankly it is very sad to me to imagine his final days so pained by this. and yes I have deep empathy for the victims and their pain…</p>