#WWYD … What would you do…
One thing being discussed a lot on line the Paterno/Penn State/McQueary/Sandusky scandal. Heads-up…I get frank, ugly and blunt in this post. If you've got triggers about rape and assault, please be aware. FYI, this is also a nice, long opinionated rant, full of…well…opinions.
Also, if you stumble on this post…you're welcome to argue, you're welcome to disagree, but if you get ugly with me or my readers, if you get nasty, I can & do reserve the right to block and delete you, and I do it with a smile. 
I have no interest in trolls.
Now…about that scandal.
What scandal? In case you don't know…in short… *allegedly*, one of these coach guys, Sandusky allegedly assaulted…no…allegedly raped numerous boys…yes, boys, young teen and pre-teen boys over a period of I think 15 years.
One of these guys-a former quarterback-McQueary-I think, actually, saw it happen.
From what I've read, and I'll be honest, I'm skimming, because I can't read much without going ape-shit crazy, this quarterback walks in and sees Sandusky raping a child. A child. He sees a grown man…raping a child. Not fondling, as some of the media would say-that isn't what is in the shit presented to the court, if I'm understanding right. He was raping a child.
What does he do? Does he call the cops? (The right thing). No. He calls his daddy.
Now, I'm 35 years old. I think he was 28. I stopped calling Daddy to fix my problems when I was oh, say ….17 or 18. But maybe I'm just a little advanced for my years.
So he calls Daddy and it goes from there…people take it to their superiors. Which, in PA, is the legal thing.
Screw legal.
I look at these pictures, and I think…
[image error] image from http://www.centredaily.com
And I think… do any of you have little brothers? Sisters? Cousins? Or even children of your own? Think about it now…what if it had been your brother. Your sister. Your cousin. Your child.
And a guy saw this child that you know. That you love. That you would do anything to protect. This child was being raped.
What would you have wanted the guy to do? Go to his…superior? Or call the cops?
**Added to clarify…yes, I know Paterno didn't witness it. But he also didn't call the damn cops, either.
Would you be happy knowing he did the basic minimum required by law? Because honestly…we can see how well that worked. How long has this been going on?
Or would you want more done? Would you have maybe hoped for a hero? Instead of a coward?
McQueary had a chance to be a hero. Instead, he called Daddy.
Paterno had that chance to be a child's hero. He could have stepped up and stopped an endless cycle of nightmares.
Spanier had that chance. So many people had a chance to step up and do the right thing.
What is the right thing? That's simple…in a nutshell, it's speaking up for the innocent. It's standing up for the voiceless victims, for the children who were victimized. It's not always easy.
But being a hero isn't meant to be easy. People are idolizing this guy for being a football legend. But he had a real chance to be a real hero. All of them did. And they chose silence instead…because of …what? For football?
All of those kids rallying around him and saying they are blowing this 'sex scandal' out of proportion…a quote from one Brendan Westfall…
"I'm here to support Joe Paterno, and the media is blowing this (the sex abuse scandal) way out of proportion," said sophomore Brendan Westfall.
Read more: http://www.centredaily.com
Out of proportion? Again. A child. Up against a wall. With a grown man forcibly having sex with said child–this is rape, people. RAPE. How do you blow that out of proportion? Being outraged, disgusted, horrified…? That isn't being blown out of proportion. That's being human.
So I ask you…all of those rallying about Joe Paterno, the administration, all of those who feel that the firings were unjust.
Let's do a hypothetical. Close your eyes. Think of a child you love. Now. Place that child in a shower. Alone. With a man who is raping him/her. Somebody walks in…this person has several options…it's a man who is likely strong enough to physically intervene.
Does he? No. Would you? I would. But I'm rash and prone to that.
Does he call the cops? No. Would I? Yes. Would you? I hope that answer is yes.
Does he go to his superiors? No. He calls his daddy.
What would you do? What would you want somebody else to do… if it was your child? If it was a child you loved…? Your brother. Your sister. Your cousin. A friend you knew from childhood…somebody weaker, somebody helpless…somebody is waiting for somebody, anybody to step in and save him.
This child was waiting. And nobody saved him. So many had the chance to help.
And it's not just this child…there were others. So many others.
If you can't get into the mindset of a child needing help, because you don't know one…don't have one. Okay. Here's this.
You're trapped. You're in a dark, hellish little hole. Somebody has placed you in there and they will not let you out. You are imprisoned. This, naturally, is against the law.
One day, somebody walks by your prison and you see them! You scream out for help…they hear you! And…they don't call the cops. They tell their superior, of course, which is what's required by law.
But nothing ever comes of it. You had a chance to be saved. But because the person who had the chance to help you chose the easy way…instead of the right way…you're still in hell.
Paterno, Spanier, so many people had a chance to speak up. To save children from hell. They chose silence. From what we can see, they chose to allow children to suffer….for the sake of football. And those supporting them? You're telling us…this is okay.
It is not okay.
Don't be silent. Don't ignore the victims. Sometimes…we are the only voice they have.
Want to make your voice heard, want to speak for victims but don't know how?
Visit sites like RAINN. Visit sites like Child Help. If you suspect child abuse or child sexual assault…don't be silent. You just might be that kid's only ticket out of hell. Think about it…if it was you, stuck in hell, wouldn't you be hoping for a hero? A real one?
