6 Thoughts: The Joe Paterno StatueJuly 23, 2012
Yesterday morning, Penn State took down the 7ft tall 900lb statue of Joe Paterno outside of its stadium. Joe Pa is now gone figuratively and statuesquely. Here are my 6 thoughts on the statue being gone.
1. Joe Paterno earned that statue before Jerry Sandusky’s first known offense towards a child in 1998.
2. Why is the Paterno family so delusional. They were pissed that the statue was removed.
3. Initially, I didn’t think the University should take the statue down. I thought it was a pattern of doing what had got them in trouble, covering it up.
4. After Twitter went upside my head for my statements, I changed my mind.
5. The statue was erected to honor a legendary football coach that put a university on the map through its football program. But going forward, when people see the statue they now see a legendary football coach who kept his mouth shut about innocent kids being molested in order to protect his football program. The football program became bigger than the kids, and Paterno became bigger than the University and that can never happen. The statue had to come down.
6. Jay Paterno, Joe’s son, who coached on the staff said that taking the statue down doesn’t help the victims. I disagree with him. The Sandusky victims are all grown now. Putting him in jail can’t reverse what happened to them. But him being convicted of these crimes is justice for the victims. I watch the tv show, First 48, like I watch my back in the hood. The victims are dead, and their families are greiveing and arresting the killer doesn’t bring the lost one back, but it brings justice and most importantly brings closure. The Paterno statue being taken down is justice for the victims. No longer will Joe Pa be honored at Penn State and that’s helping the victims.
That’s all I got,
Ricky Writer
