Rally For Joe Paterno An Insult To Victims
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By DERON SNYDER
The disgust generated by Penn State’s swirling child-abuse scandal rose another level Tuesday night when Joe Paterno — smiling and laughing — emerged from his house to address a raucous crowd that was chanting his name.
“We want Joe! We want Joe! We want Joe!”
How about wanting justice for the alleged victims of Paterno’s longtime assistant, Jerry Sandusky? How about wanting Paterno to explain why he never followed up on a 2002 report that Sandusky raped a 10-year-old boy in the football team’s showers? How about wanting the Board of Trustees to hold Paterno and school President Graham Spanier accountable for their failure to act and protect future victims?
If that crowd chooses to believe that Paterno did no wrong, swell. If it believes that Spanier and other school officials acted appropriately, fine. If it believes that Sandusky is innocent until proven guilty, OK.
But a grand jury indictment lists eight victims who testified about being abused. A potential ninth victim came forward over the weekend, and there’s a report that the number of victims has swelled to almost 20.
