Defending the Honor of Penn State
[Editor’s note: Yesterday, I tweeted, “My son just came downstairs in his Penn State t-shirt and I said, ‘Um. We have to throw that shirt out.” Below is an email I received, hours later.]
I just read your Penn State Twitter involving your son and his t-shirt and your issue with is. This is very disappointing. There are 45,000 students, 20,000 faculty, the largest alumni base on planet earth and so what is wrong with Penn State? That one person who has not worked at Penn State since 1999 that the Governor of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office has known about since 2008 and yet this pedophile still lives within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, and this is a Penn State problem.? I heard of one teacher in a school district from New York State who was charged and convicted as a pedophile and so is this a New York Public School problem state wide? Should I never watch the network news because it originated from New York City in New York State? I could go on and on, but please take a moment to think of what you are teaching your child and tweeting- that one person who worked there 12 years ago does not castigate an entire organization now. If you would like to discuss this further do not hesitate to contact me at [phone number and name redacted].
I think you will find that you will not help yourself at all by getting upset by people who are upset by institutionalized protection of pedophilia.
Many of us wonder how this terrible situation could have persisted for so long. Your email sheds light on that: there are people who care much more about the Penn State brand than about the pedophilia going on behind the brand.
Penelope
That is *exactly* what the issue is. I cannot fathom why Penn State “loyalists” do not see that they are in fact apologists for an institution whose moral center resides in its football team’s win/loss record.