Should the statue come down?

[Kansas Irish]

Some people are calling for the removal of Paterno's statue outside the stadium. Penn St is saying they have no immediate plans to do so but are renovating the areas where the crimes were committed. Thoughts?

 

[BGIF]

Should the statue come down?

He wasn't charged with any crime while the others have.

I'd leave the statue but add a plaque in perpetuity with bold lettering noting, "He should have done more. He should have stopped him He should have been a protector of the innocent and not an enabler of the depraved."

That will be more a reminder/deterent than the $300 milllion or so PSU is going to pay out in civil claims and more than the DOEd penalties and/or an NCAA Death Penalty. Kentucky received the Death Penalty in basketball it didn't hurt the program.

 

[Grahambo]

]He wasn't charged with any crime while the others have.
[/B]
I'd leave the statue but add a plaque in perpetuity with bold lettering noting, "He should have done more. He should have stopped him He should have been a protector of the innocent and not an enabler of the depraved."

That will be more a reminder/deterent than the $300 milllion or so PSU is going to pay out in civil claims and more than the DOEd penalties and/or an NCAA Death Penalty. Kentucky received the Death Penalty in basketball it didn't hurt the program.

That's because he isn't with us anymore. Many people have said if he still was, he would be charged.

Take it down.

 

[Irishnuke]

Definitely take it down. What he didn't do outweighs everything he did.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

Leave it.

 

[ohara831]

I say leave it. It will be a constant rminder to that shcool and all who see the statue about taking the responsible actions when the time arises. And this way, whenever anyone sees the statue of Joe, they will think of what he did not do moreso than what he did do. This will be his legacy.

 

[RyCo1983]

Tear it down. Penn State homers still think he did nothing wrong.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Tear it down and melt it.

 

[mlcspinner]

YES

 

[BobD]

If they want to show they're appalled by his failure, they care about the victims, they care about all children and they've learned, then they need to tear that statue down immediately and on their own accord.

Same with the death penalty. If PSU wants to show they REALLY care, they need to not wait for a death penalty from the NCAA. I think they should announce on their own that they're closing the football program at PSU down for a period of 2-4 years to completely revamp the program along with starting a program to prevent child abuse and to help the victims.


Suffering penalties only shows you're guilty. Taking action shows you care.

 

[johnnykillz]

It's will be a constant reminder of the evil greed that can overcome a man seeking greatness over what's right.

I cannot think of a better way to describe it.

Many other iconic men throughout the ages have done the same thing, and countless others will also put pride before what's right.

Bottom line: I will never say another good thing about Paterno. And I am not alone. I stood up for this guy elsewhere all over this Forum and he has shamed me. Now imagine how those poor lifelong fans feel...

I hate it for the PSU faithful that didn't know, like me, the truth.

It's a low down dirty shame.

The place is cursed.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Cover it up for 13 or so years. After all, that's what they did.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I'm not that closely involved with any of that situation, so it is only the generic moral abhorrence of bad acts which might motivate my opinion. In that I am not in favor of publicly honoring anyone who is publicly known to have major moral failure. But frankly "America" does this all the time with our don't-give-a-damm-attitude about "winners" [in sports or in economics or in politics].

One thing seems clear to me though: if Penn State itself would like to project itself as a "now-cleaned-up-and-new" institution, they would get rid of the statue [without any hoopla surrounding the act] and make a quiet professional mea culpa press release saying that they had done so and why. Their public relations people have to be sweating over this right now. They need to create a clean sweep act, but probably fear rich football-crazed alumni backlash. It will be interesting to see what they decide. Even if they do take it down, that act will almost certainly be a "practical" one rather than a moral one.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

If they want to show they're appalled by his failure, they care about the victims, they care about all children and they've learned, then they need to tear that statue down immediately and on their own accord.

Same with the death penalty. If PSU wants to show they REALLY care, they need to not wait for a death penalty from the NCAA. I think they should announce on their own that they're closing the football program at PSU down for a period of 2-4 years to completely revamp the program along with starting a program to prevent child abuse and to help the victims.


Suffering penalties only shows you're guilty. Taking action shows you care.

If that statue came down I would completely understand. However, I feel that shutting down the football program for any amount of time is unfair for not only the football players who have committed to it but the student body. Not only that but the football program gained nothing from the sexual abuse scandal/cover up. Maybe they could take a large sum of the profits from the football program and donate it to charities or help spread awareness so that this doesn't happen again. I just think that penalizing the majority for the actions of a few scumbags isn't the answer.

 

[irish1958]

David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune has the correct solution: turn it upside down and bury its head in the sand.

 

[Pa Golden Tate Fan]

The University needs to disassociate with the Paterno name. Tear down the statue and take his name off the library.

 

[goldandblue]

Not only that but the football program gained nothing from the sexual abuse scandal/cover up.

I disagree. You don't think that this event would have changed the recruiting landscape at all??? Why do you think Joe Paterno decided to cover it up? He did it (at least in part) to protect his football team. He knew that if this got out it would have a negative impact on the program....

 

[Pa Golden Tate Fan]

I disagree. You don't think that this event would have changed the recruiting landscape at all??? Why do you think Joe Paterno decided to cover it up? He did it (at least in part) to protect his football team. He knew that if this got out it would have a negative impact on the program....

I agree and Paterno in 2001 was looking to pass Bear Bryant at that time for most all time wins. Had he done the right thing, they all would have been fired because of the 98 incident.

 

[pumpdog20]

Take it down. I don't think the NCAA needs to give the death penalty, the recruits are going to do it themselves. No top recruit's parents will want their son to go there.

Pitt looks to benefit the most from this unfortunate event football wise. Penn usually produces good HS prospects, they have to go somewhere.

 

[PJWhitfield]

I have a problem with how these things play out in our legal system. Eventually the institution will pay out big money to settle suits. But the institution should pay nothing. The individuals involved in illegality are the only ones who should pay. Basically, the plaintiffs end up stealing from thousands of innocent people who contributed to the university. It's just one big shakedown and racket.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

I disagree. You don't think that this event would have changed the recruiting landscape at all??? Why do you think Joe Paterno decided to cover it up? He did it (at least in part) to protect his football team. He knew that if this got out it would have a negative impact on the program....

I disagree. Had the school, including Paterno, done the right thing from the beginning by firing Sandusky and allowing him no access to the school I believe that recruiting would not have been impacted. They would have shown that the university was firm on a no tolerance stance which would have confirmed to recruits and their parents that PSU was a safe school.

 

[polishjuice4]

You got to take it down, but leave the name of the library. He help build that library and donated a lot of money for it. I think that is how Penn State wants to remember him.

 

[tadman95]

I think common decency and out of respect for the victims, quietly remove the statue.

 

[DomeLover3]

Paterno is the greatest coach in PSU history.

Paterno connected himself to a sex abuse scandal by helping cover it up.

Lives of children > Football games.

Put a plaque next to his statue like BGIF suggested and leave his name on the library. He helped build the library. Since he did not actually do the acts, I don't think his statue should be removed

 

[NDPhilly]

The problem though is that if the statue stays than its eventually going to be vandalized unless they have 247 watch on it.

 

[DomeLover3]

Steve Wiltfong and Jason Sapp also work as security guards, Philly?

 

[micks60]

Statue should be gone. Why keep a statue of a man who covered up sexual abuse to protect a friend and football program from scrutiny?

 

[tko]

Statue should be gone. Why keep a statue of a man who covered up sexual abuse to protect a friend and football program from scrutiny?

spot on my man

 

[Irish2015]

Not a clue how to embed the image, but joe paterno statue - dont take down the statue just cover it up for 13 years

 

[ND NYC]

its coming down....but they better do it quick

if they make big deal out of it (announce it)...it could get ugly when the cranes show up. reading BWI msg boards....some of those folks are down right distrurbing in their zeal to protect paterno's legacy.