Penn State Riots: Misplaced Anger, Misplaced Priorities

In what may go down as one of the most stupid and misguided student protests in the long, storied history of student protests in both this nation and around the world, Penn State students nearly rioted following the dismissal of iconic head coach Joe Paterno on Wednesday night. 

With unemployment at or around nine percent in our nation, an income gap reaching historical levels and our nation waging two wars overseas, there is plenty for America's youth to become polarized over. 

Approximately 2,000 students at Penn State University chose to instead take a strong and very visible stand in defense of an 84-year-old head football coach who was dismissed on Wednesday night because he quite simply failed to deal with a very serious circumstance surrounding the alleged rape of a child in an appropriate manner. 

I'm sorry, Penn State students and alumni. This is a very, very sad situation.

It's not sad because of Joe Paterno, though. While I will readily admit that this is a terrible way for what had been a tremendous career to end, it is also totally appropriate as well.

Joe Paterno is not a victim here. 

It should also be noted that as of now it appears that Joe Paterno is not a criminal here as well.

Just because he didn't break the law doesn't mean he can't lose his job, though. Breaking the law is not the standard by which most employees are held. You'll also have to spare me the "he went through proper channels" nonsense. 

There are times when you simply have to take manners into your own hands. This was one of those times.

It is in fact that type of leadership that would have been exactly what would have not only saved Joe Paterno's job, but also probably saved several other young men from suffering the same fate as the boy that Mike McQueary, according to the grand jury report, saw being molested in the shower.

The "debate" here (if one can call this a "debate") seems to be one in which people are saying, "Yes, Joe Paterno made some errors in judgement. He's not perfect, none of us are, but he wasn't part of some sort of athletic department-wide conspiracy to cover up the scandal."

That may be true—it also may be false. With regards to him having a job, it's a meaningless debate.

"Everyone makes mistakes" might be decent excuse with regard to the everyday mundane mistakes that everyone makes. This, however, is not even close to being an everyday mundane incident.

The best way to ensure that things as insidious as child molestation remain not everyday occurrences is to make sure that everyone associated with actions and inactions that lead to them be held accountable.

No one is coming to Joe Paterno's house and locking him up—the officials in charge of the current investigation have been quite clear in proclaiming that Joe Paterno is not guilty or accused of any sort of crime as of now.

If the greatest "loss" Joe Paterno absorbs as a result of this scandal is a loss of his job that he would have retired from in the near future anyway and a loss of his "legacy"—which is really an undefined, nebulous thing in the first place—then all things considered, Paterno is getting off scot-free.

Sandusky is likely (if found guilty of even one of the charges that are going to be brought against him) to spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The two administrators that have been charged with perjury can look forward to spending time in jail as well as probably having to find totally new lines of work down the road.

The victims? The real victims. 

They have long lives in front of them, as most of them are young. Those lives are going to be markedly more difficult than many of their peers' lives will be. Their lives will be filled with massive insecurities, an inability to maintain relationships, a lack of trust, days, months and years in therapy, as well as a loss of innocence that most normal children and young people don't experience until much later in life.

Victims of childhood sexual abuse suffer much higher rates of depression and suicide than other adults and children do. 

The students who protested angrily last night are correct in one thing—everyone does make mistakes. I have no issue with the one that most of the students who protested last night made.

You are young, you are experiencing something that most college campuses don't experience, and the amount of negative attention the college is getting is probably quite jarring.

There is a difference though. The mistakes made by inexperienced college students last night are in some ways forgivable. The mistakes made by a college football coach with more than 45 years of experience and who is entrusted with helping to ensure the safety and mentoring of young men are not totally forgivable.

Last night never had to happen, but unfortunately, Joe Paterno was one of the people who could have prevented it from happening—or at the very least have done more to prevent it from happening.

He didn't, and for that he is unworthy of the affection showered upon him. If the students of Penn State truly love their precious football program, then they must realize that it needs tons of fixing.

The program and the love of the program are a big part of what caused its downfall. It grew so large that it occupied an irrational place in people's hearts where some people—Joe Paterno included—could not see the importance of placing it in jeopardy, even in the face of some heinous acts that rightfully should have superseded any sort of protective influence.

The students of Penn State are not guilty of anything—the vast majority of them are very bright young people with bright futures.

The players on the Penn State football team are also not guilty of anything. They are going to be part of a long line of unfortunate collateral damage brought forth by this scandal. They are a collection of very good to exceptional athletes, and they should be allowed to either stay at Penn State and begin the long effort to rebuild the school's reputation or transfer to another school free of any NCAA penalty.

The sad truth of life is that when things like this happen, there are innocent victims. It's important to keep perspective, though.

The loss of memorable Saturdays of college football during your stay at Penn State is a fairly low price to pay if it in some way ensures the safety of young children from molestation in the future.

Don't be angry at the media or the board of trustees. There were crimes and misdeeds committed, but not by them.

Paterno? Guilty? Not guilty? It doesn't matter, folks.

He had a chance to make a difference off the football field, and he didn't come through. He'll have to be happy with the 45 years he spent in that job and go on from here.