The Cult That Is Happy Valley
The Joe Paterno statue has officially been taken down from its worshipped pedestal in front of Beaver Stadium.
To the victims of Jerry Sandusky, an act that may metaphorically equate in similar fashion as when the U.S. Marine armored recovery vehicle helped topple the huge statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq back in 2003.
GOOD, EXCELLENT, BRAVO and any other words of adulation for doing this!
I'm honestly baffled that the cult that is Happy Valley--a town with a Stepford Wife sort of mentality-- actually allowed this to happen. Listening to the immediate reaction from those on the Penn State campus disgusted me. I heard zombie like quotes to the effect of, "a place of healing" was taken down.
A place of "healing?"
Sure, it was ultimately a call from the school officials, but they had NO choice than to do this.
There is NO way Penn State could leave that statue up and not receive the brutal ramifications from the public backlash of critics. To allow Paterno's statue to remain would only be a public, in your face, slap to the face to the victims in a symbolic statement of "WE SUPPORT A MASSIVE COVER UP!"
I'm tired of the PSU juice sippers who say that the continuous destruction of Paterno's "good name" and reputation needs to stop. Let's get one thing completely straight: JOE PATERNO did that to himself. He destroyed his very own name by lacking to take any action when he was privy to information of the horrific sexual abuse that was going on.
Jerry Sandusky may have been the perpetrator but Paterno is certainly just as culpable here. Paterno was a HEAVILY revered leader placed in a significant leadership role and his silence ruined ALL of that. He had a chance to take action and possibly keep from more of the molestations happening and he CHOSE NOT TO.
How in good moral/ethical faith can a man who kept his mouth shut (REGARDLESS OF EVERYTHING HE DID FOR THE GAME OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL) be honored by keeping a statue up?
It is certainly a terrible shame that every mile stone that Paterno did set is sullied by the deplorable acts that occurred on HIS watch and through what HE knew. But, the nightmare that transpired at Penn State far transcends football.
His image is forever marred. Period.
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