ABOUT TIME! He's a deviate enabler, who should go to jail! NOT A LEGEND OR A LOSS!

http://gma.yahoo.com/penn-state-sex-scandal--joe-paterno-to-retire.html

Legendary coach Joe Paterno will step down as head of the Penn State football team at the end of this season after 46 years, according to ESPN.

The abrupt decision comes amid a sex abuse scandal that has rocked the university.

The report said that the decision was Paterno's, not the university or board of trustees. Paterno's exit will mark one of the biggest losses amid the sex abuse scandal that has shaken the university and seen two of its top officials and a former coach arrested and charged criminally.


Penn State representatives were unable to confirm those reports Wednesday morning.

http://widget.newsinc.com/fullplayerwvars.html?wid=5829&cid=507&spid=23545416&freewheel=58285&sitesection=suntimesstry_top

Arguer:

Paterno didn't break any law. Officially speaking, he did exactly what was required when a graduate assistant told him in 2002 that he had witnessed Sandusky sexually abusing a boy (estimated age: 10) in a shower at the Penn State football complex. Paterno told his boss, athletic director Tim Curley. Paterno followed proper procedure. And doesn't he deserve the benefit of the doubt? For years, Paterno has been a paragon of athletic virtue. He has won a Division I-record 409 games, yet his program has never been cited for a major NCAA violation. Sandusky maintains his innocence. As does Curley, who has been charged with perjury. They'll get their day in court.

Reasoner:

Pure B.S. Paterno claims to be a teacher. He always talks about his kids when referring to his players. Someone who truly cared about kids would have done more. He would have pestered Curley for an answer about what happened to the accusation. He would have called the police. He would have confronted Sandusky. Instead of that, Paterno let Sandusky keep coming back. On Monday, Yahoo! reported that Sandusky was spotted in the Penn State football complex as recently as last week. Even if the accusation was false, Paterno had a responsibility to make sure it was thoroughly investigated. He didn't. He stuck by Sandusky instead of worrying about the child.

I waited several days to write this because my first thought was what I would do if someone did something like this to my child. My initial reaction -- and I'm fairly certain most parents would feel this way -- was homicidal. If someone molested my child, he would need the police to protect him from me. If I found him first, his death would be neither quick nor clean. I might spend the rest of my life in prison, though I'm not sure a right-thinking jury would convict me. Those were the first thoughts that popped into my head, and I'm not ashamed to say that. So why didn't Paterno, a parent and grandparent who claims to have dedicated his life to the kids, feel the same way? Why didn't he do everything in his power to ensure he helped protect a kid who couldn't protect himself? I thought if I waited a few days I could look at the situation through a more rational lens. I can't. Every time I think about it, I get more angry. And I pray that I can protect my kids from the monsters, because apparently not everyone feels the same responsibility. If Paterno would sit silently for years about this, he has no business representing a proud university. Fire him now, not in days or weeks as The New York Times is reporting. I don't give a damn how many games he's won.

Arguer:

Paterno released a statement Sunday night saying the graduate assistant was distraught and did not describe the specific act mentioned in the grand jury presentment. Maybe Paterno didn't grasp the seriousness of the allegation. Maybe he didn't understand.

Reasoner:

Or maybe Paterno has hidden behind a wall of lawyer-speak because he knows he failed in his duty as a human being. Maybe that's why Penn State President Graham Spanier -- who also needs to be fired for the same reason as Paterno -- canceled Paterno's regularly scheduled press conference Tuesday. Paterno can't stand up to tough questions, because he has no moral leg on which to stand. If no one had made an accusation, it would be completely believable that Paterno didn't know. His inaction would make sense.

But someone did tell Paterno, and Paterno has admitted to that. According to the grand jury, Paterno testified that the graduate assistant reported seeing Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy." Those are the exact words from the presentment, but they are not an exact quote from Paterno. Grand jurors clearly came away thinking Paterno -- a man not known for mincing words -- had heard a report of sexual activity between a grown man and a young boy. Setting aside what the graduate assistant actually reported to the grand jury -- an act so heinous that the mere mention of it should cause any normal person to retch -- exactly how extensive a report of sexual activity does Paterno need to do the right thing and make sure the report gets investigated thoroughly? No one gets a little bit fondled. Beyond that, a grown man and a young boy were naked together in a shower. That isn't normal. That requires an inquiry. Yet Paterno did nothing except kick the accusation upstairs. In this case, "upstairs" is a relative term. Curley was nominally Paterno's boss, but Paterno has long been the most powerful man on Penn State's campus. If Paterno wanted the claim investigated, he could have made an investigation happen. He didn't.

Arguer:

Still, we need to wait until the facts come out before judging Paterno. Maybe there is some reasonable, rational explanation for his silence. Can I honestly say that I would go to the police if a subordinate reported something like that to me about a longtime friend? Which person would I believe?

Reasoner:

Remember that we're talking about a 10-year-old. Someone's son who stands no chance to live a normal life. And let's not forget anyone else who might have been harmed in the years between the graduate assistant's report and Sandusky's arrest. If the charges against Sandusky are true, any molestation that took place between the graduate assistant's report and Sandusky's arrest is on the hands of everyone who knew. That includes Paterno.

Arguer:

Forget it. There is no defense. There is no rational explanation. I hope, if placed in the same situation, I would protect the child. If I didn't, may God have mercy on my soul.

The Penn State alma mater includes this line: "May no act of ours bring shame." Someone wrote those words on a poster Monday and hung them from a statue of Paterno on Penn State's campus. If Sandusky pleads guilty or is convicted of these accusations, that statue of Paterno should be torn down.

Paterno has won 409 games. He has helped usher thousands of young men into adulthood. But if Paterno's inaction allowed a monster to continue preying on children, those victories don't mean a thing.



Read more:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/08/penn-state-joe-paterno-scandal/index.html#ixzz1dEAeSjH9

He needs to go to prison for a very long time, not allowed the benefits of retirement! Maybe next time, a child might be thought of before personal gain or "not wanting to get involved"!

The people that claim to have seen sandusky doing this should have went to the police, not to Joe Pa. That is one issue I have about the whole thing. Other then that I guess wait until it plays out. However, Paterno isn't going to get jail time nor should he. Sandusky on the other hand should never be free again, IMHO.

I agree in part, but being a former marine, you use the "chain of command" in reporting grievances.

Like Paterno, the assistant should have gone to the police AFTER nothing was done by reporting it to Paterno. There is an "equal guilt" issue here, but HE DID report it to his "superior", who actually HAD THE POWER to bring it into the light....AND DIDN'T!

Yeah, I've heard a lot about the "chain of command", which it is basically the same at any job. However, with something that serious, the witness should have went directly to the police. We don't know yet what Paterno was told happened, so at the time it's hard to say. Although, he did mention he wished he had done more. The president will be out by the end of the day, which is a start. I'm curious to see if Paterno will lose his job before he retires at the end of the year. They basically have said he will coach the team this weekend.

Did Paterno do everything he COULD do? Of course not. Did he do everything he was SUPPOSED to do? It sure sounds like he did. Should he go to jail for that? I don't think so. If enerybody got locked up for not going above and beyond what they're supposed to do, this country would REALLY be in trouble. No matter which way you look at it, Paterno was put in the position to get in trouble for no reason other than being a 'middle man'. He followed the 'chain of command' like he's supposed to and he's arguably 'forced' to retire. If he went above Curley's head, well, chit flows downhill. Do you think the end result would be any different?

Yeah. We have enough non violent criminals in jails and violent and white collar ones walking the streets. I just hate to hear that people wish to make being a 'chicken' a crime. People fear alot of things beause they are human, not because they are scum. Inaction, except when it explicitly breaks a contractual requirement, shouldnt be criminalized.

But coach P HAD THE POWER, and authority, to START proper inquiries, if not police involvement, and didn't!

You may not do drugs, but have a friend who does. If you are in their house, and it is raided, YOU are going to jail for having "knowledge" and choosing to stay! "Frequenting" was the term that got me 5 years probation and $2500 in fines, plus court costs and a $25 a month probation fee, when I was "clean", had NOTHING, but was a friend!

This guy had "suspect knowledge" of a CRIME far worse by comparison and chose to DO NOTHING (basiclly) when he had the power to do EVERYTHING. As a "leader", he should have led!

The old adage "rank has it's priviledges" applies I guess!

And the child? To do NOTHING for followup in these cases, when you ARE the superior authority, is IMHO, criminal!!

Seems it's not "child" but "Children"!

His inaction has "allowed" it to continue!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/paper-calls-departures-penn-state-president-joe-paterno-171753175.html

"It is impossible not to cringe when hearing the charges against Sandusky. From 1994 to 2008, he is said to have sexually abused eight boys as young as 8 years old. Some victims reported up to 20 incidents."

again, staying in a house is an ACTION, not an inaction

and drug laws are tricky because of the burden of proving who is or isnt doing the drugs in their presence, otherwise everyone could just claim they didnt do or distribute drugs or the drugs arent theirs, so the law says anyone in the vicinity of the drug can be in violation

with molestation, you either did or didnt, its not as gray an area as distributing or doing drugs that are in or near your possession,,

to do 'nothing', should never be a crime,, IMHO

Paterno should have gone to the police as soon as the teaching assistant went to him.

Yes, Paterno had the power to at least start inquiries if nothing else. I see no reason why he shouldn't have called the police, or at least had the teaching assistant call the police with him there.

And to let the guy stick around and continue what he was doing after he already knew? There's no excuse for that.

But, at the same time, what was stopping the assistant, or for that matter, the kid(s) to go to the cops? After all these years and all these 'alleged' incidents, wouldn't you think that there should be hundreds of people who have knowledge about any of it? Apparently, none of them did all that they could either. Should all of them be brought in front of a judge also?

Right, others should have done something about this as well. But, as soon as the head coach found out what was going on about it, he should have made sure the police knew. He did not do that. He let the guy stick around! You have no problem with that? Sadly, the support of a football team seems to cloud peoples' judgment.

Okay the student assistant reported it to Paterno, who in turn reported it to his superiors..........maybe he thought it had been investigated and since nothing came from it thought it may have been unfounded. I dont see where its his job to hound his bosses over it. How was he to know it wasnt reported to police and investigated.....Sorry but I am confused and maybe not getting all the specifics of the story.....I will read it later when I get a chance all this has broken while I am handling my sons birthday party and making cupcakes and things for his class tomorrow

We're talking about child abuse! He absolutely should have followed up with his bosses about what was done. He should have reported it to the police. If something had been done about it, he would have known, as something would have happened well before now.

Gotcha, but shouldn't he been able to trust his bosses to handle it and do the right thing.....believe me I am am outspoken advocate against child abuse.....and shouldn't he entrust that it was properly investigated without having to hound those responsible for doing the right thing within the chain of command?

Not when it comes to child abuse. He should have called the police. And since he didn't do that, he should have followed up on his bosses. There is no excuse.

It has to be very difficult for someone to believe that a man they had known for 30 years would be stupid enough to commit that type of crime in a locker room shower.

If you didn't personally see that type of action would any of you really be so fning willing to accuse someone you knew that long of a crime like this?

You didn't see it.. remind you..