Penn State: They Didn't Fail to Fail

I've written countless times on the Penn State scandal, so I'm not going to simply rehash reality.  I've also read about a dozen different commentaries on the release of the Freeh Report, the best (in my opinion) of which was in Sports Illustrated.  You can link to it here...

Penn State Leaders Can't Hide Their Guilt...

While the Freeh Report itself is long, the basic conclusions are not:

At Penn State, institutional reputation truly reigned supreme over all other considerations (with the exception of that consideration called "Joe Paterno").

At Penn State, no leader wanted to "hurt" Jerry Sandusky's feelings.  It didn't matter the feelings...and bodies...of the young victims he hurt.

Joe Paterno cared more about his football program than he did a child who was raped in his showers.

Like I said, pretty simply stuff.

Where to go from here?  As I've noted in the past, I am a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, and I have no plans to resign that connection.  I also did contribute to the University again this year (I didn't last year), but I wrote my check out specifically to Penn State Harrisburg.  I will not...ever...support the University's annual fund. All of my contributions to the University, until the day I die, will only be made directly to Penn State Harrisburg.

I am very grateful for the Penn State education I received, as it truly did change my life for the better.  But that's it.  In life it's painful when you discover that you've been lied to, and Penn State...and very specifically Joe Paterno...lied to us all.  In respect for the dead I would normally say something like "May God have mercy of Joe Paterno's soul", but in this case the sad truth is this:  Joe Paterno showed no mercy to the children who were raped by Jerry Sandusky.  Neither did an entire university.


Steve Albert
Penn State, class of 1986
Life Member, Penn State Alumni Association
Past Board Member, Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Society