Stand Up Guy

One of my favorite people is a Penn State alum. He loves my niece and makes her very happy. That alone would make me love him, but as I have gotten to know him over the years I also love him for who he is. He is funny, and any event becomes instantly more fun when he's a part of it. He has a Bachelor's degree and a graduate degree, and he plans to pursue his doctorate as well. So, yes. He is smart. But not just "book smart" smart. He is very insightful about people and situations and I always sit up and take notice when I hear something he has to say. He loves his kids, but just as important, he understands them and really takes the time to know them as individuals. He is what you might call a "stand up guy." And he's not alone. All over the country, all over the world, there are Penn State grads who have gone on to do great things with their lives. They should be proud of the education they got there, and they should be proud of who they are.

There has been a lot of good that is coming out of this horrible tragedy surrounding the school. Jerry Sandusky is in jail, thanks to the jury who made the right decision. Their ties to the school made no difference to them. There's Sara Ganim, the Penn State alum who first broke the Jerry Sandusky story. She's what you might call a stand up girl. The school dismissed the major perpetrators. There is a new football coach, a man from the outside. The NCAA is deciding what sanctions are appropriate. There is a great opportunity for Penn State to turn this whole thing around, to move forward, each step of the way doing the right thing. Each step of the way, saying never again.

I hope no one has buried their Penn State spirit wear, their tee shirts and caps and sweatshirts, in the bottom of a drawer or the back of a closet. There is no reason to be ashamed of being a Nittany Lion, to not proudly shout, "We ARE Penn State!", to allow the actions of some to define that image forever. That image can be changed for the good, forever a turning point where people begin to do the right thing.

The stand up guys. They ARE Penn State.

Susan

Innocence

Jury selection began yesterday in the trial of Jerry Sandusky, the Pennsylvania man accused of raping young boys. I wrote about him and his former boss, the late Joe Paterno, here. While there are some serious flaws in our criminal justice system, one of the great things about it is the right to a jury of our peers. I was born and grew up in Pennsylvania, a place where football is practically a religion, a place where Penn State football and the man known as Joe Pa are both larger than life. That makes what's going on there a little more interesting to me, I suppose. The venue is Centre county, right there in Nittany Lion territory. I am counting on the Pennsylvanians who end up sitting on that jury to be fair minded.

I think one of the good things that has come out of this is that people are realizing that boys can be raped. While that has seemed like a given to me, I have found that not everyone thinks that way. There has been this prevalent feeling among many, I think, that when we hear about little boys being molested, it is something called "fondling." Fondling in and of itself would be a horrible violation, but it is rape. Anal rape.  And being forced to perform oral sex.

Whether or not Sandusky is found guilty of these crimes remains to be seen. Another wonderful thing about our system is the presumption of innocence. He is going to have his day in court, perhaps as early as Monday if jury selection goes as planned. There will be no videotaping, which is probably a good thing for me, because I would be tempted to spend way too much of my time watching it and I think the negative energy would not be good for me.

Boys just have a special place in my heart, I suppose because of my two sons. In America we sometimes treat them differently than little girls, like they are less fragile and not so easily shattered. But they aren't. Their innocence is something to be fiercely guarded.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sandusky himself had his innocence violated when he was a small boy. Abuse does not happen in a vacuum. So this is a good thing, right? This trial in Pennsylvania where the world receives a little more light on this sad subject. I am telling myself that. I am telling myself that something good is coming out of all that. It must.

Susan