I am saddened at the passing of Joe Paterno, long-time coach at Penn State. And, in retrospect, a number of foolish people made a hasty decision, in over-reaction to a bombshell story that was not fully understood, but which was extremely uncomfortable for them.
This is the classic error of hasty and ill-considered choices: Act in haste, repent at leisure goes the old saw. As you will see, Bill O’Reilly of Faux Nooz™ admits that the sudden firing and humiliation of Joe Paterno led to his untimely demise. One of his former players says the same. He had lost the will to live, to fight, which is that intangible and yet necessary ingredient of any cure.
So, let me revisit what I said at the time, and then we’ll listen to what Bill O’Reilly said last night, and then we’ll pause for a moment of sorrow for the family and friends of Coach Paterno, and compassion for those poor hasty deciders, who will now have to carry that with them for the rest of their days. I assure you that Penn State fans won’t let them forget it.
And now it will never matter whether Joe Paterno was guilty of the darkest “aiding and abetting” or like many men of his generation simply found child molestation unthinkable, let alone a set of mechanics to be imagined. He is dead and it seems cruel beyond all reckoning to have hounded him into his grave so soon, for what even his fiercest critics accuse as a sin of OMISSION, not comission.
Here is Bill O’Reilly in November (whilst waging his phony “War on Christmas” war against the Action Figures) from Faux N0oz™:
Bill O’Reilly: Joe Paterno and Doing the Right Thing
Published November 14, 2011 | O’Reilly Factor | Bill O’Reilly
By Bill O’Reilly, FOX NEWS
All Americans should be horrified and a bit sad by the situation unfolding at Penn State University.Eighty-four-year-old legendary football coach Joe Paterno has been fired after 46 years at Penn State for failing to take aggressive action against one of his former assistants, whom a grand jury has indicted on 40 counts of child sexual abuse. Paterno says he notified college officials when he was told Jerry Sandusky was seen molesting a child, but he did not call the cops, and the coach should know that is unacceptable.
IT’S VERY SIMPLE: If you see or you hear about any child being physically abused in any way, you have an obligation to aggressively protect that child. That means the Penn State assistant coach who testified he saw the 67-year-old Sandusky molesting a little boy in a locker room shower should have immediately stopped that abuse, walked in and prevented Sandusky from doing any further harm. That’s what Mike McQueary should have done, but he didn’t. He reported the incident to Paterno, and nothing was done to Sandusky. Disgraceful.
Penn State University has finally done the right thing by cleaning house and sending a message to everyone: Protect the kids or you’re out. But what about these moronic students who caused a near riot objecting to Paterno being dismissed? I mean, what is wrong with these people? Do they have no sense of decency whatsoever?
Sandusky, Paterno and the rest of them are innocent until proven guilty, but eyewitness testimony in front of a grand jury is enough to force responsible people to take action. The fact that Sandusky was given $100,000 bail and no ankle bracelet is also a disgrace. And now we find out that the judge who did that, Leslie Dutchcot, worked as a volunteer for Sandusky’s charity. Judge Dutchcot should have immediately recused herself from the case. What is wrong with her?
The bigger picture here is that child molesters — rapists — are the lowest form of human life. You may remember “The Factor” went on a huge campaign to have Jessica’s Law passed in all 50 states. Pennsylvania has a watered-down version, a 10-year mandatory sentence for child rape first offense. If you do it again, you get 25 years. But that’s ridiculous. Why give a child predator a second chance?
SO FAR, SIX STATES HAVE NOT PASSED JESSICA’S LAW: Hawaii, Illinois and Vermont are progressive situations, states that do not like to make judgments about evil. But New Jersey, Idaho and Colorado are simply inexplicable. In 2008, Jesse Watters confronted Jon Corzine, then the governor of New Jersey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)JESSE WATTERS, “O’REILLY FACTOR” PRODUCER: We just want to know if you support Jessica’s Law 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for child rapists?
JON CORZINE, D, FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: Well, we have one of the toughest laws in New Jersey, and we’re the ones that started this movement, and I support those laws.
WATTERS: You guys have 25-year mandatory minimum for child rapists?
CORZINE: You know, we have what Megan’s Law, which actually started this whole movement. So I don’t know how it matches up exactly with that, but we have one of the strongest set of laws in the country.
WATTERS: I’m not sure if it’s the mandatory minimum though, sir, with all due respect.
CORZINE: That I can’t tell you because I haven’t actually, you know, wasn’t prepared for the question today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Corzine simply wasn’t prepared, period. He did nothing to get Jessica’s Law passed. Now that Chris Christie is in charge of New Jersey, we hope that situation will change.
There should be no second chances for child rapists, and no quarter for people who do not act aggressively against them.
And that’s “The Memo.”
Here is what you need to see: O’Reilly makes his absolutist judgment, decides that “innocent until proven guilty” is the Prime Directive, but, like a deranged Captain Kirk (or, virtually every episode, now that I think of it) notes that this is an exception, they’re guilty as sin and, therefore, stripping Paterno of his life, his job and his community is perfectly legitimate.
He then brays and crows that he’s a crusader against child molestation (or, in his exceedingly inappropriate characterization, “RAPE”) and features one of his “gotcha!” producers confronting a Democratic ex-governor and ex-senator, which has the same relationship to the Joe Paterno story as a fish generally has with large hadron colliders.
In the dream-logick of Bill O’Reilly, his Father Coughlinesque moral certitude is what matters, and woe betide those who get in its way: Just ask Doctor Tiller in Kansas.
Oh wait, he’s dead. Assassinated by one of O’Reilly’s viewers.
(And no, Virginia, I’m not drawing a direct causal link, but there ought be no rational soul who can’t conclude that creating a public atmosphere of tolerance FOR that assassination is NOT a factor in the latest act of domestic terrorism not categorized or discussed as such, because, you know, only Ay-rabs and Moo-slims is terrorists, or so Faux Nooz™ would have us believe.)
It was a lynching, and Joe Paterno is dead, stripped of his life’s work at the very end. Let us revisit the uncomfortable moment that led to the sad demise of the legendary coach.
===
10 NOVEMBER 2011 · 10:47 AM
Penn State Pederasts – You’re Not Going To Like This
“We’ve all got to remember that that guy that was there did something terrible.” [verbatim]
I don’t like lynch mobs: they scare me. Neither do I like book burnings, nor spooky spectacles of “revising” murals based solely on indictments. It chills me at some deep level.
“Artist paints over Sandusky in State College mural”
I have remained silent (albeit silently approving) during the rush to punish as many persons associated with the Pennsylvania State University as possible for the terrible crime of aiding and abetting the rape of a child.
Except …
I don’t actually know what happened.
Now, I have heard this described in several ways, as “sodomizing a child,” “raping a child,” “molesting a child,” and variations on this fugue.
Ironically, the selfsame Moral High Dudgeon that creates our universal condemnation of the alleged acts ALSO precludes anyone from telling us WHAT the acts in question actually were, but confines itself exclusively to characterizations.
Artist excising mural yesterday
You see, whatever happened in that locker room shower at Penn State thirteen years ago is the domino that has toppled (and will continue to topple) careers at that venerable institution (thus far including legendary coach Joe Paterno, who has all but been accused of holding said “child” down during the molestati0n), the President of the University and others. And effectively cancelled the remainder of the season for the Penn State football team, none of whom are guilty, thus far, of having anything to do with this matter.
Thus far, the facts that I DO know (as opposed to narratives based on the characterization of choice — fictional constructs whereby the characterized event is the kernel from whence the “reality” of the narrative is based) are few and far between. But the rush to judgment has been … vigilante-esque.
I know that Michael Moore (and others) immediately tied it to the Catholic pederast priest scandals, although it began as analogy, it somehow became emotionally conflated with this, entirely separate affair (no pun intended, since if it were, it would be cruel and worthy of condemnation).
I am happy to condemn evil, but I am also loathe to rush to judgment on an unfolding scandal that dates back thirteen years and more.
But I am frightened at the scent of the mob, as a deep wellspring of viciousness and unreason has been unleashed, evidenced last night by the extremely hurried firing of Paterno — followed by rioting in Happy Valley — and the university’s president.
The urgency with which the Board of Trustees acted ought to be a salutary lesson on “act in haste, repent in leisure,” but it will not be.
When the local media and “upstanding” citizens rush to paint over murals and trumpet it far and wide, well, that is NOT due process, that is NOT the American way (the dream, not the flawed practice), and is exactly the sort of thing that John Adams fought against when he was the only attorney in Massachusetts who would defend the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre.
The moral issues there were “clear” as well.
The mural before editing
But we do not have the facts: we are prudes about the crime, but libertines about the punishment.
And so I am disturbed by all this.
There has always been something about repainting and rewriting history that has chilled me, from legendary Soviet and Chinese rewrites of history to the Taliban’s destruction of the Bamayan Buddhas, defacing art in furtherance of WHATEVER offense has never sat well with me. And, rapid-fire termination of “expendible” people to “silence” an uncomfortable scandal even more so. It is UNCOMFORTABLE because it is a SCANDAL.
Punishing all peripheral parties when the actual accused criminal has barely been arraigned seems entirely a bridge too far; a rush to judgment; a hastily taken action that will be repented at leisure.
No one is presently at risk. The alleged pederast is under police supervision. The evidence will be heard in a court of law.
But there was nothing critical that required the Penn State Trustees to act without having the facts in hand. Instead, they were the living embodiment of what Rudyard Kipling counseled against in “If” — a bit of manly doggerel that is hung in more locker rooms than boys are sodomized in.
And all moral judgment of Paterno that I have thus seen are based on that characterized incident, without so much as a literal description as to what actually happened.
I do believe THAT to be the crux of all issues, and I believe that is KNOWABLE in our trial process.
But what frightens me more is how “rape” and “child” have become so astonishingly indistinct in our modern lexicon of High Moral Umbrage, Dudgeon and Outrage.
A “child” can be anyone from age Zero to Seventeen Years, Three-Hundred Sixty-Four Days, Twenty Three Hours, Fifty-Nine Minutes and Fifty-Nine Seconds.
In this case, it seems to ACTUALLY be a child (English Common Law held that a child was ten years or younger until the late Nineteenth Century).
The Offending Portrait
“Rape” can be anything from “Statutory Rape” (consensual sex with someone legally unable to give consent) to actual, forcible rape. It has become a euphemism used to describe distasteful behavior as readily as blatantly criminal behavior. (Rape is one of the worst crimes imaginable, forcibly invading one’s most private core, in addition to the physical trauma and forced breeding that would take place, had only Mississippi’s voters approved the “Personhood” amendment a mere two days ago.)
I’ve written about this cavalier attitude and conscious abuse of the term for unworthy ends before. (See: “Righties Rape Rape” 11 June 2009)
So, when people say “rape a child” it is wildly variable as to what they might mean.
This ain’t The Oxbow Incident, after all.
But this is how it gets started.
Which is why I’m leery of lynch mobs, actual or virtual.
I’m not disagreeing with you, Gentle Reader. I’m just saying that this rush to judgment has harmed more people than it’s helped, and that making hasty, politically judgments and punishments has not helped a single soul involved in this.*
[* Except to lower the intake of Maalox® among certain Trustees, which, while personally valuable to them, has the unfortunate effect of depriving decent hard-w0rking American workers of their livelihood by lowering demand, and, therefore, sales, and, therefore -- as the dominoes fall -- causing layoffs at Maalox® factories, albeit, ironically, creating a spike in Maalox® sales too late to save those jobs. Oh, cruel fate!]
Before and after
Judgment is deeply satisfying, of course, and all the more so if you don’t personally have any skin in the game, but it can be deferred until all the facts are known, and certainly OUGHT to be when large-scale and damaging actions are being taken without consideration.
As the artist in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette video says (before “disappearing” the offending mural portrait): ”We’ve all got to remember that that guy that was there did something terrible.”
Maybe he did. And if he did, he ought to pay the price. But I’m not in a hurry to watch the hanging.
Because lynch mobs scare me.
All better now
Now, I know that you will take what I say as somehow condoning the alleged crime, and conflate tolerance with licentiousness, but I adamantly reject the charge. If ever there were a moment for showcasing the value of calm, measured action, due process and our criminal law system, this is it.
Sadly, instead, we are watching a spreading collateral tragedy unfold that might have been avoided had cooler heads prevailed.
After all, as to the actual crime alleged, no one doubts that the criminal justice system has matters under control.
But there is today no happy in Happy Valley.
“We’ve all got to remember that that guy that was there did something terrible.”
Yeah, but who and what, specifically? Until then, belay that paint brush.
And the tar and feathers, while you’re at it.
Courage.
==============
UPDATE 11:56 AM PST: The graphic details of the alleged child molester’s activities are delineated in the grand jury report. (h/t Leni C.)
This is the basis of the indictment against assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The facts have yet to be determined in a court of law. A grand jury merely determines that there is sufficient evidence to warrant an indictment (that it is worthy of trial and not frivolous). The trial determines whether the charges merit a “guilty” verdict, whether trial by judge, trial by jury, or plea bargain (the latter is generally the most likely outcome in trials).
And check out the sober journalistic restraint of Gawker’s headline:
Thousands of Students Riot Over Firing of Child Rapist’s Protector
Finally: You might want to take a look at this: “Media Frenzy Over Paterno and Sandusky” (recommended).
===============
And back to the present, 2012.
Paterno was exiled and died this week. Most of the self-righteous yowling that we so love when it’s nobody we know and nothing we have more than a vague social stake in has died down, or gone into hibernation.
But one fearless prig decided that he needed to double down on his denunciation of Paterno, rather than doing the civil thing and saving his criticism for a time after the funeral ceremonies, which begin today and will last for three days. I don’t really need to tell you what the late Mr. Paterno meant to The Pennsylvania State University and Happy Valley. That it will take three days is all you need to know to understand.
I happened to hear Bill O’Reilly quite by accident. Here is his quotation of what he did, but, conveniently, there is no video.
http://www.billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=3050#4
The O’Reilly Factor
Monday, January 23, 2012The O’Reilly Factor Archive
- Talking Points Memo & Top Story: Can Gingrich continue his rise?
- Impact Segment: Why are so many married women voting for Gingrich?
- Personal Story Segment: Coulter explains why she’s still supporting Romney
- Factor Follow Up Segment: Thoughts on Joe Paterno’s death
- Weekdays with Bernie Segment: Will Newt’s media-bashing tactic continue to work?
- Back of Book Segment: Reality Check: Bill named one of the most popular TV personalities
- Factor Mail
- Pinheads and Patriots: Kristin Chenoweth
Factor Follow Up Segment
Thoughts on Joe Paterno’s deathFormer Penn State Joe Paterno died Sunday at age 85 and The Factor put forth this exposition: “Coach Paterno was perhaps the most successful college football coach ever and had a sterling reputation until recently. In November he was fired because he did not take enough action when he heard about a former assistant coach molesting a 10-year-old boy on university property. Paterno was afraid, he didn’t want to get involved because he understood the implications for the university. That’s exactly what happened in the Catholic Church – when a number of bishops found out about child molestation by priests, they covered it up because they didn’t want to involve themselves and the Church. There is no question that abusing a child is a heinous crime and there is no excuse for any American not to stop the abuse immediately. I feel badly for Joe Paterno and his family; I’m sure the scandal hastened his demise. By all accounts he was a good man, but he was weak when it mattered in the face of a heinous act. All of us are compelled by decency to protect the kids. And if we don’t, God help us.”
NO VIDEO
Now, what was important there was that O’Reilly justify himself and pound his chest.
For thousands of years in the West, it has been considered impolite and inappropriate to speak ill of the dead, unless there’s a DAMNED GOOD REASON.
Rather than allow the body to be interred into the earth, or even for the body to cool, O’Reilly immediately repeated his mid-November position, because, I guess, his constant high moral dudgeon is so goddamned important. It was important to jump on Paterno with both jackboots just before Thanksgiving and it’s important to bring priests and their pederasty into a discussion of Joe Paterno’s sad passing before the corpse is even stiff.
Someone less important than Bill O’Reilly might have held their tongue, lest they be seen as a barely milder form of Mad Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church picketing the funerals of dead soldiers.
After all, how much LESS respect for Joe Paterno should we have because he’d lived a lifetime of integrity and decency but didn’t fight HARD ENOUGH about alleged evil in Bill O’Reilly’s eyes? Sentence MUST be pronounced anew by the Chief Kangaroo of the Food Court. (Or is that “Bottom Feeder Court”?)
Note that at the end of the same broadcast, this segment, fairly reeking of humility:
Back of Book Segment: Reality Check: Bill named one of the most popular TV personalities
But tarry a moment further.
A reader protested O’Reilly’s auto-oblation. YouTube takes up the tale:
For the benefit of those who are either prohibited from clicking or uninterested by way of understandable nausea, here is O’Reilly’s response to criticism of his reiteration of his call for a necktie party, cherry-picked as his ONLY response to any viewer outrage (minus self-righteous sneer) :
READER: Shame on you, O’Reilly.I was angered by your analysis of Joe Paterno. So an old guy who followed protocol is a bad guy?
O’REILLY: You don’t follow protocol when kids are gettin’ raped, Kenn!
Gosh. That sure as hell sounds like one of them guys in “The Ox Bow Incident.”
Here is the trailer to that movie, which you will find interesting even if you’ve seen the movie a dozen times. Henry Fonda explains WHY he wanted to see that book made into a movie (2 minutes and 13 seconds):
Click here for the YouTube page
Henry Fonda character: You got any doubts, tetley I say let’s call off this party. Take him back to judge like Davies wants.
“Major” Tetley: This is only slightly any of your business my friend: remember that!
Henry Fonda character: Hangin’s any man’s business that’s around!
Sounds kinda familiar in its refrain.
Let us mourn not the dead but honor them, and let us mourn the living, who will have to live with the consequences of their acts for the rest of their natural (and perhaps supernatural) lives.
Requiescat in Pace, Joseph Paterno.
Courage.
