Touched Valley
"Serial pedophiles target institutions that are built on trust."- Pat Freeman, on his show "Sports Talk" on 11/12/11
"I don't think so... maybe I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead." Those are the words of a split personality. A district attorney whose family and supporters want us to believe was bold, fearless and unbought decided not to prosecute the crater-faced man behind those words, the incriminating words from an eavesdropped phone conversation to the mother of one of eight victims. Victims of Jerry, Jerry's boys, little boys he touched.
Generally good major Division I college position coordinators move on to be head coaches at other schools, or the NFL. Jerry Sandusky was one of the top defensive coordinators in the country of a program known for it's fierce linebackers. He retired in '99 and his autobiography was released in 2000; "Touched- The Jerry Sandusky Story." Has there ever been a more appropriate title? That same year a janitor named James Calhoun caught him in the shower with a young boy and reported it to his supervisor Jay Witherite. Evidently a few people saw a naked Jerry with one of his boys, a good number would learn of it. But not the right people, the authorities, law enforcement. What guaranteed the success of much of Sandusky's sexual abuse was the so-called "good people" who refused to answer their call, and instead do nothing. From a janitor to a graduate assistant, to the head coach Joe Paterno, to the school's President Graham Spanier, to Vice President Gary Schultz, Athletic Director Tim Curley, Ray Gricar the missing (believed dead) Center County DA and even the Judge who let Jerry go without ankle-bracelet and posting bail, Leslie Dutchcot; not coincidentally a volunteer with his foundation according to Good & Yurchak Attorney's at Law profile. Pillars of the community most of these people would be considered. Completely useless as men.
Spanier for example even went so far as to say Schultz and Curley "operate at the highest levels of honesty," while not expressing concern for the victims. Both of them told a grand jury that McQueary never informed them about Sandusky's deviant sexual activity on their grounds. This in addition to never having contacted the authorities, which is in violation of the Clery Act. I'm all for loyalty, but some people obviously don't know when to stop playing ball. Child molestation is a pretty good starting point fellas. Part of the reason that more than a few see as the snails pace to report Sandusky, is that a number of those boys are strongly rumored to be black. While this has yet to be officially proven, suspicion is strong due to phrases used to describe the kids that have gone through The Second Mile program; "at risk," "single mothers." Such a revelation would put Sandusky in the same wilderness as Eddie Long in terms of gifts and trips as well, only worse; it seems Sandusky's boy's are clearly younger.
One more word points to black, "pimp." There are those who feel the story or what we know about it is a relatively tame version. Talk radio host Mark Madden gave some grisley statements on the Dennis and Callahan Show on WEEI in Boston and dropped a real nuke: "I can only give you a rumor and I can give you something I think might happen. I hear there's a rumor that there will be a more shocking development from the Second Mile Foundation-and hold on to your stomachs, boys, this is gross, I will use the only language I can-that Jerry Sandusky and Second Mile were pimping out young boys to rich donors. That is being investigated by two prominent columnists even as I speak." Madden has been said to have been following Sandusky long before he became a household name. Even as you read this more victims are reportedly coming forward. Jerry admits to having showered with kids and "horsed around" with young boys in the school's shower (it's an 'athletic thing' his lawyer implies), but he denies having raped any of them. It's easy to have a false conscience when you have a false-conscience-protection-agency; the community pillars of State College PA and those property-smashing pigskin fans of Penn State.
What I consider most irritating is how easily this could have been taken care of years ago by Mike McQueary, at that time a graduate-assistant who in all good conscience, decided to use his eyewitness as leverage to become a full-fledged highly-paid assistant. I mean you look at footage of him on the sidelines he looks like an emotional no-nonsense coach. Why couldn't he be no-nonsense when it counted, regardless of the cost to him? Having spotted Sandusky with that kid, I'm thinking he could have done anything other than what he did, turn his back, run home and tell his father. Even after he told Paterno there was still plenty of time to go to the authorities (your boss is not "the authorities" in case you're wondering), Carrot Top fumbled the ball. He wasn't the first, Calhoun was, Calhoun is now in a home for the elderly with dementia. Could McQueary be far behind? What needs to take place is an official forfeit of the remaining games of the regular season, and whatever bowl game they'd get invited to, just to instill in their fans what's really important. While colleges and universities do train you to make big money in a clean profession, what has been overlooked is a de-emphasis on "what's in it for me," and evidently the fear of being a whole man.
Chris Stevenson is a regular columnist for blackcommentator, Political Affairs Magazine, and a syndicated columnist. He also contributes to his blog the buffalo bullet. Follow him on Twitter, and Facebook, you don't have to join any of them. Watch his video commentary & interview show Policy & Prejudice and The Network with Pat Freeman for clbTV. Sign his Petition to permanently Abolish the Death Penalty @ Change.org.
