We Don't Get It

I've remained relatively quiet about the "Penn State scandal" over the last couple of weeks, limiting my comments to a couple of status updates on Facebook.  Today, however, the story has reached a point that makes me literally sick to my stomach, and I can't be silent any longer.

Over the weekend, it came to light that the young man (now known as Victim One) who first came forward with allegations against Jerry Sandusky has had to leave his high school because he has now became the victim of bullying from other students.  Students at Central Mountain High School blame Victim One for the firing of Joe Paterno and have apparently chosen to make their views very clear to him.  According to the psychologist working with Victim One's family, the school's officials have done nothing to stop the bullying, which has led to the decision to take this young man out of the school in the midst of his senior year.  The one person who should be lauded as a hero in this story is forced to be a victim yet again because we just don't get it.

You need to know that I'm as much on the inside of this story as any Pennsylvania resident who has been raised on Penn State football.  My parents both graduated from Penn State, so fall Saturdays have been about cheering on the boys in blue and white for as long as I can remember.  We have cheered through good seasons and bad.  And we have loved Joe Paterno's leadership and dedication to the men he coaches.  We love the fact that Penn State jerseys bear no names and helmets bear no stickers in the name of team over individual achievement.  I have joked with Ohio State and Michigan fans that we can't be friends because of the team rivalries.  But when it all comes down to it, football is just a game and Penn State is just another team playing the game.

You see, in addition to all the Penn State love in our house that informs our reaction to this scandal, we also have to deal with the fact that we know what it is to be in the place of the victims and their families.  We understand the consequences of authority figures using their roles to victimize those in their care.  We understand the pain of silence.  We understand what happens when people abdicate their responsibility and leave those with no voice to fend for themselves.

And so, while we're sad to see Joe Paterno leave Penn State football in this way, he is not a victim in this story.  The victims are the ones who suffered while Joe (and others) said nothing, and our hearts are with them.  We see them as the heroes.  They are the ones for whom we have shed tears.  They are the ones for whom Penn State students should have rioted.  They are they ones whose stories should be first in the mouths and pens of the media.  What does it tell us about ourselves when our football teams and coaches are more important than the safety of young men?  What kind of parents or schools are we when we allow our children to blame and bully those who have absolutely no responsibility for any of the elements of this story?  We don't get it... football is just a game... the victims of this abuse are humans.  Do we really not understand which is more important?