Penn State has been in the news a lot recently due to the Jerry Sandusky scandal. A number of high officials have been implicated, the NCAA has slapped Penn State with serious sanctions, and once-hero Joe Paterno's statue was removed recently after a plane flew over campus demanding it be taken down. Some say that no press is bad press, but is this really the case here?
The anger people feel is understandable. There was serious injustice taking place, the rape of innocence and violations of trust. When justice is subverted and crimes hidden, people naturally are outraged. Why didn't someone who knew about this situation do something to stop it? If the proper channels of communication and law were not blocked by people in positions of power, then this case would have been resolved long ago. Instead, it seems these people did not want the public relations nightmare that would ensue if this story reached the light of day. But it eventually did.
Now that the Sandusky Scandal reached its crescendo with the guilty verdict, the community is faced with a situation that is much worse than if people had done the right thing when they could have. This would have saved boys from torment, which is most important, but it would have also saved The Penn State University and surrounding State College community from a great deal of headache and heartache. It can be compared to ripping off a band-aid quickly. It will hurt a bit at first, but it's much better than the agonizing pain of peeling it off slowly. Instead of being in the process of healing, the pain continues.
This is not just about the football program, the college, the community, or the state of Pennsylvania. The lessons that can be learned here can be applied to our nation and our world at large. When action can be taken to rectify a terrible situation, it is best to act swiftly to do the right thing, even though it may seem dangerous or unpopular at first. Justice will eventually uncover the criminals, and so it is much better to be a part of the solution, rather than to help prolong the problem.
The wrongdoers are facing penalties for their actions, but because of all the negative media coverage, they have sullied the reputations of many innocent people associated with Penn State. Perhaps there will be some good that comes from this all, though it is hard to see now. As the football program licks its wounds, some of the other sports could take the spotlight. Maybe there will be an increased focus on academic excellence. And what if this scandal inspires more young people to seek social justice?
What do you think? Will Penn State be able to weather this storm, repair its damaged reputation, and come through this tragic situation stronger? And can all of this negative coverage be used for something good?
Kyle Hunt works at Hunt Law, a criminal defense firm in State College, PA. http://www.ehuntlaw.com/
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Source: http://newsandsociety-crimenews.blogspot.com/2012/09/penn-state-in-wake-of-sandusky-scandal.html
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