Penn State Students Show Classless Response by Rioting After Paterno's Firing

The way that the Penn State fans reacted to the Joe Paterno announcement was a disgusting, classless act by a group that now puts the Penn State University in a deeper hole than it is already in.  

The student body had a chance to show support to the victims of the grand jury findings, but instead led a mob mentality that supported someone who knew of a wrongful act and did not do enough.

The students who thought it was cool, or fun or a good idea to go and mass riot, had the wrong idea. 

Before the riots and student protest, there were more victims who had the courage to come out and speak against what defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky may have done.

Now, if other victims see the mass of students out in streets in Happy Valley and on the coach's front lawn, it may keep them in hiding, not having the courage to step forward. The students who went out to protest the decision that the Board of Trustees had to make, may have just put a new shame onto those victims who have yet to come out.  

Watching those students lend support to Paterno, does not mean that they support what was alleged in the grand jury report. What it does mean is that they lend their support to someone who had the information to fix something, but did only the bare minimum to protect his program.  

The Penn State University is trying to lend their support to victims of child abuse, as Saturday’s home game against Nebraska will have their sold-out stadium all wearing blue in a “Blue Out.” The Blue Out will help try to raise awareness of those children who may be going through something like this, or those who are still too afraid to come out against their attacker.  

Going a step forward, because Penn State is one of the most recognized programs in college football, it should be a NCAA regulation that on Saturday every college home game should pass out the blue ribbons to raise awareness of this.  

The students got it wrong, way wrong, in supporting someone as powerful in his position as Paterno. In fact, I was wrong when I wrote that the students did the right thing in showing up on his lawn.  

Every student on the Penn State campus has to take a step back and not be blinded by the figure head that was Joe Paterno. He had a chance to be a hero and stand up to what was wrong. Instead he turned a blind eye and tried to protect his program. 

That is what the students need to know and understand. 

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