Paterno Sanduskied!

Growing up in eastern Pennsylvania,
Sundays belonged to God and
Fall Saturdays to Penn State Football.
Coach Joe Paterno, or JoePa,
was god, the winningest football
coach in the NCAA history
with 409 victories from 1966 to 2011.
 
Jerry Sandusky, Assistant Coach
at PSU for 32 years, is arraigned
November 5th 2011 on
40 counts of misdemeanors and felonies
including child sexual abuse.
On November 9th 2011,  Paterno announces
retirement the end of the 2011 season.
On January 22, 2012, 
Paterno dies at the age of 85.
 
It is alleged Paterno was informed in 1976,
the early 1990’s and 1998,  and
evidence in contrast to the claims.
It is impossible for a dead man
to answer these questions in court.
 
Sandusky retires in 1999, but with
“Emeritus" status, still has access
to the college facilities.
 
In 2001,  a coaching assistant witnessed
Sandusky molesting a boy in the showers.
The assistant informs Paterno,
Paterno reports it to PSU administrators,
the administrators decide to not inform the police.
As a result of hiding the truth,
four more boys get sexually abused.
 
The Paterno family says there is no
evidence showing Coach Paterno
tried to protect Sandusky.
 
Sandusky goes to jail,
PSU is banned from bowl games,
and given a 60 million dollar fine.
In 2012,  the seven foot statue of
Coach Paterno is taken down
and hidden away off the PSU campus.
 
In January of 2015,  the NCAA
Restores 111 of Paterno’s wins
When PSU agrees to paying 60 million
to the 26 victims of Sandusky
and to the prevention and
treatment of child sexual abuse.
 
While much is written about Sandusky,
the child serial rapist,  and
what Coach Paterno knew or
did not know, 
this story is a tragic.
 
A dark cloud will always loom over
JoePa and PSU legacy.
It is a case where both reputations
were “Sanduskied.”
 
What I find sadder,
is the lack of coverage about
the damage of sexual abuse,
and more importantly ways
of bringing healing to the survivors.
 
In Ireland, a person abused by a
Catholic Priest as a child writes,
“When you sexually abuse a child,
you murder his or her heart.”
 
There is not a cure, but there is
a solution for those survivors of
of mental, emotional, physical or sexual abuse,
and it is called A.S.C.A.
 
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
is a 12 Step fellowship
of men and women
who share their experience, strength
and hope too solve their
common problem of recovery
from the trauma of their abuse.
 
You can choose to let it consume you, or
you can confront it, and process the pain
to learn to let it go and live a life
of reasonable happiness.
 
At PSU, they say the sky blue and
white because God loves PSU.
Jesus also said for those who
hurt children,  “It would be
better for him to have
a great millstone
fastened around his neck 
to be drowned in
the depth of the ocean.”