The Story of Joe Paterno and his fall at Penn State should be a warning for all of us.
How easy it is for us to defend institutions and their reputations at all costs. It could be a school, a business, a Church and even and idea.
Moral Failure, in a moment, is able to change how people will remember us. They will remember clearly how we built them up or how we let them down. Our Legacy will be remembered. "How" we are remembered is the question. We need to be diligent not to fall into the kind of trap that Joe fell into.
Are you holding on to something at all costs? Who might you hurt in the process? Food for thought, don't you think?
Tommy Tomlinson of the Charlotte Observer inspired this post and tells the Paterno story with great insight and wisdom. See his post here!
What was Joe Paterno's moral failure? As I understand it, he not only followed the university's precise protocol by reporting Mike McQueary's suspicions to his immediate supervisor Tim Curley, but he went above and beyond his minimum obligations by alerting the head of PS Police (Gary Schultz, who presided over 500 armed and certified police officers). Additionally, I understand Paterno followed up with Mike McQueary multiple times to see if the investigation was being handled properly. The way I see this nightmare scenario, I see Joe Paterno's response as the most appropriate and honorable of anyone involved. Yet, certain politicians and media outlets have jumped at the chance to hang everything on Paterno. Doesn't seem right, to me. Tom Corbett's role is worth looking into. Same goes for the Second Mile Foundation, which somehow gets a free pass despite failing their LEGAL OBLIGATION to report the Sandusky allegations (not to mention their $600K in donations in support of Corbett's campaign, or the $3M grant that Corbett approved for the Second Mile after sitting on the Sandusky case for 2+ years). Or how about the HS principal from Clinton County who allowed Sandusky to continue pulling students out of class even after they complained about sexual abuse to the point where one boy's mother demanded that the school file charges only to be discouraged by that principal to get the police involved. But, hey, why not just put it all on the old man? Certainly makes for better ratings, right? Let's hope justice is served and the guilty parties are punished to the full extent of the law while drawing some much-needed attention to one of the world's dirtiest secrets -- sexual abuse crimes that affect 1 out of every 5 teens in America. Because of this story, I was moved to donate a portion of my hard-earned income to the RAINN Foundation to fight child abuse in America. Here's to a better future for our kids and grandkids.
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