Quote:
Originally Posted by djnemo65
It's certainly been a devastating few days for the Penn State community. Like many Penn Staters I started out willing to give Paterno every possible benefit of the doubt, and I tried to do that. As more facts have come out it has become impossible to, even construing the facts in the light most favorable to Paterno, excuse his actions, to come up with any justification that holds water. He fell so short of the moral example the he seemed for so long to stand for that his firing was necessary, and he deserves the ignominy and the complete implosion of his entire legacy that will now follow. And once you take that step, once you realize that maybe this guy isn't what we all thought, the turn is swift and fierce. I've taken that step, but please understand that not all students and community members have. Humans are capable of engaging in extraordinary lengths of delusion when they really, really want to believe something. Religion is a good example of this. Rationalists like me scratch their heads as the world's religions compel seemingly sane people to do everything from the bizarre to the horrific. Penn State people are in a state of denial now, but I predict that as time goes on opinions will change, and when they do, once people take that step that I've taken, the retribution against Paterno will be ferocious. I predict that in ten years his likeness will have been entirely effaced from a campus in which you literally can't look in any direction without seeing his representation. That's my prediction and we'll see, but I would ask that you spare the student body your epithets and judgments. These are kids who just learned that there is no Santa Clause. They still aren't willing to accept that Paterno is culpable. That's not the same as supporting child molestation. I have faith in my community and think they'll come around.
To people on here wishing ruin, insolvency, and whatever else on my university and on people who had nothing to do with any of this, seriously, go to hell. People like Mooby, save your potshots. Penn State has never been known for being smart? Wrong, it is one of the most respected academic institutions in the country, that's just a fact. I go to Harvard now and I can honestly tell you that, at its best, Penn State comes close. And I appreciate it so much more as an institution, now that I've seen what true privilege looks like. I love being a public school kid who competes and wins against these coddled rich kids.
At its worst Penn State can be quite a bit worse than Harvard. We have a history of rioting ( Michael Weinreb tries to make sense of the state of chaos in State College - Grantland), and not usually over things of great importance. We rioted once because we made it to the Sweet 16. And ESPN seemed interested only in interviewing besotted frat boys rather than those 40 thousand or so students who weren't in the Canyon last night.
Anyway that's all I got, peaceout. |
Good post, Nemo. I would say most good state universities, at their best, come close to Harvard. And by their best, I mean those respective schools' brighest minds.
I do agree with what you're saying for the most part, especially about those people who are wishing that the entire university fall to pieces. That's a totally ignorant thing to say- hoping innocent people lose their jobs and educations.
One thing I'm not ready to do is to give the rioting students a pass. I'm not saying that their doing so is advocating child abuse, but they should know better. It's not like Paterno is getting railroaded here. He was implicit in the cover-up and protection of a man who committed some of the most heinous acts imaginable. So yeah, he got fired. WTF are they rioting about?
I know it's your alma mater so it hits hard. If this was going on at the University of Florida, I'd be devastated. But I don't think those rioting students should be spared from any sort of criticism, judgement, or prosecution for that matter. They may represent a minority as far as the student body, but they're stupid.