JoePa's Demise Overshadows Bigger Issue: Protect Your Kids

Scary to think that, according to the State of California Department of Justice, 90 percent of child sexual assault victims know their offender, with almost half of the offenders being a family member.

I read an recently that identified a gentleman as a suspected offender. My jaw dropped when I looked at the picture and realized I previously had contact with this gentleman. Having had contact with him in a professional setting, I couldn’t imagine he committed all the crimes he was being charged with.

As a parent, I quickly dismissed any ounce of sympathy for this man. I have no sympathy. Maybe that’s harsh, unfair and perhaps some people deserve the benefit of the doubt.

But I can’t. I cannot absolutely find it in my heart to have an ounce of understanding. It would feel like a betrayal to my kids. Good luck to this gentleman in his struggles.

Imagine my horror when this week a group of students celebrated a man involved in a child molestation scandal. Not the man that allegedly committed the crimes but a man with first-hand knowledge of the crimes, Joe Paterno. Yet he did nothing. Nothing. Taking the minimum legal action required of him is nothing. What’s legally correct is not always what’s morally necessary.

It’s one thing to show support or sympathy but the students acted like animals. Tearing down light poles, overturning television news vans parked along the street and, at least in one instance, using pepper spray against a police officer. I bet their parents are proud. Apparently, the students were angry and frustrated. Gosh, I wonder how the children that were sexually abused and their families felt and continue to feel.

I read a comment on Facebook that read, “A sad story and a really sad end to Paterno's career and legacy.”

Really? “F” his legacy. His legacy now is that he is a coward.

From a Nov. 10 New York Times story, a few students had interesting perspectives, including: “I think the point people are trying to make is the media is responsible for JoePa going down,” said one student.

No, I think JoePa is responsible for JoePa going down.

“They [Penn State board of trustees] tarnished a legend,” said another.

Hmmmm, no! The board only fired Paterno because of his own actions. Or, in this case, inactions.

Yet another student said, “The board is an embarrassment to our school and a disservice to the student population.”

Gosh. I’m going to have to say no again. I can think of a few other people that took care of that.

It seems like the more people that get involved in the situation, the worse it gets. I hope that someday these students look back on this day and recognize their poor judgment. Maybe they will realize that people really need to take responsibility for their own actions.

Visit the Megan’s Law website to learn how you can protect yourself and your family to reduce the risk of sexual assault and to access the sex offender locator, an important tool that lists designated registered sex offenders in California.