Statues and Lamentations
It was wrong to pull down that statue
Statues and Lamentations
Now that the Penn State powers that be have decided pulling down Joe Paterno’s statue is necessary to the “healing process” (spelled w-i-t-c-h-h-u-n-t), I’ve come to the realization that we could right so many of the nation’s ills if we followed the Nittany lead. So allow me to suggest some equally cathartic moves:
(1) Take a wrecking ball to the face of George Washington on Mt. Rushmore because, you know, he kept slaves;
(2) Ditto to the profile of Thomas Jefferson;
(3) Remove that giant statue of Benjamin Franklin in front of the Franklin Institute because, you know, he was a serial adulterer and had 18 kids, give or take a bastard;
(4) Dislodge the statue of Lincoln from his DC memorial because he had the audacity to suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War;
(5) Erase FDR’s name from South Philly’s verdant park, because our wartime president had no problem interning innocent Japanese-Americans;
(6) Rename JFK Boulevard because, after all, Jack spent an awful lot of time with ‘women not named Jackie;’
(7) Take away that holiday from MLK, Jr. because he also stepped out on Coretta;
(8) Get rid of that memorial to Joan of Arc outside the Art Museum because the chick was a schizophrenic war-mongerer;
And this is just what I came up with sipping my coffee this morning. I was inspired to
compile my list when I witnessed the over the top response in both the blogosphere, in print media (including here) and on the radio to what many have called a long-overdue reckoning with the evils of hero worship. That’s both naïve and wrong, given the particulars of this case.
Joe Paterno was not an unapproachable hero who hovered above the Penn State campus like some benevolent deity. He was part of the sinew and fiber of that place, striding-and sometimes limping-across the football field while never ignoring the more sedate and academic spaces. The library that bears his family’s name was just as important to the man as the monumental stadium which showcased generations of scholar athletes like the champion from one town over, John Capelletti. While some may have lost sight of his humanity because, after all, it’s in our nature to admire the greatness in others and dream about the possibilities for ourselves, most understood that he was just a very good and decent man who believed in the words of Robert Browning: “A man’s reach must exceed his grasp else what’s a heaven for.”
Paterno urged his athletes, and all of those he encountered at Penn State, to stretch themselves beyond the expected. Yes, he may have made mistakes and he surely angered a lot of people with his single-minded pursuit of excellence. And he probably acted with the arrogance that some who achieve great heights often assume when dealing with troublesome opponents, like academic deans who think that rowdy football players who have too much to drink and act like idiots should be disciplined like students, not valuable athletes. Paterno was wrong to pull rank and try and get special treatment for his boys, something that is far better established than his complicity in a rape cover-up. But to go from there and blame him for the crimes of Sandusky, especially based upon an investigative report that reads like an indictment of ghosts and dead men is terribly, indefensibly unfair.
Joe Paterno was not a saint, nor was he a hero. It’s highly unlikely that he ever acted like one, tramping around a rural campus with coke bottle glasses, hopelessly dated jackets and a hairdo that would have fit right in on Lawrence Welk. He was a man who did a lot of good in his lifetime, and made what some think was an unforgivable omission.
We’re the ones who have now propped him up as a hero, only so that we can rip him from that pedestal with unseemly glee. We are the ones who are saying he flew too close to the sun, and it’s good that his waxy wings are now dripping in disgrace. And since we are the ones who are doing this, with obvious and ulterior motives, we can’t get away with false pieties about the dangers of idolatry.
So let’s be consistent. If the Paterno statue goes, supposedly to save Sandusky’s victims further pain (but it’s doubtful that removing a statue erases any memories) let’s get rid of the other vestiges of heroes who, let’s be honest, were a lot less worthy of human tribute than a humble Italian from Brooklyn who tried, and led, a decent life.
Who among the accusers, especially Louis Freeh, can cast the first stone?— PlumberJoe- This is an absurd nonsense, right in line with the silliness of the telly cop show murderer's asserting that no one is innocent. When the nonsensical questioners ask, "What would you have done?" one can but reply, "No one knows." One can, however, also add that one hopes one would have acted more appropriately than did Mr. Paterno and his superiors at Penn State. Even Mr. Paterno admitted, in the wish, he knew he should have done more. Quit apologizing for him!
GOOD GRIEF, have you people no shame?— BEMiller - The Freeh investigation specifically didn’t interview McQueary. Why? I don’t understand that.— sadim
- Don't know why this was the case, but, on the other hand, Mr. McQueary's testimony in court was readily available and extremely assertive and clear. — BEMiller
- What Paterno knew hinges upon what McQueary told him. In regards to what McQueary relayed to Paterno, his testimory is not clear, in either the grand jury report or the trial. Given how key this evidence is to an investigation that makes conclusions on Paterno's actions, it is absurd that McQueary was not interviewed. Had you read the Freeh report, the grand jury report, or transcipts from the trial, you would know this. — sadim
- Here goes Flowers again defending the protectors of child rapists. Amazing how she does not mention removing Reagan's name from an airport for illegally trading arms for hostages and diverting money in direct defiance of Congress. Alas, she is a "conservative" and we all know their is one guideline for conduct for them and another for the rest of us.— mick-of-the-moment
Comment removed.- This woman is an absolute disgrace. She can never admit she is wrong. This column is all kinds of vomit inducing. "Witchhunt????" Good lord, I guess Watergate was also just a minor B&E offense. Her bias is so apparent and predictable. I swear she could have overheard Paterno admit it to her face and she would come up with some cockamamie defense. As for who can cast the first stone, that is another cop out statement. Using that logic no one should pay for any crime since no one is free of sin or wrongdoing. This was about Penn States Administration and Paterno committing a heinous and greedy act; trying to divert attention on to what other people might be guilty of is the way attorneys and the Catholic Church roll - you know, the best defense is to go on the offensive. Christine, I am not sure how you can even look at yourself in the mirror. Had this been another football coach would you have been so absolutely pigheaded in their defense? Probably not (unless he was a Republican and Catholic).
— Marie Elena - JoePa was part of a 4-man team that allowed the Sandusky atrocities to continue for as long as they did. Please don't compare these examples of ancient history to this case. I'm sure you would feel differently if one of your family members was a victim.— guitarman
- Great Article!— psualum2000
- And also if anyone is naive and wrong it is the hero-worshipping Ms. Flowers, whose very article proves that very point. Personally comparing Lincoln, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, men who despite flaws, laid the groundwork for this country to the humble guy from Brooklyn (humble my fanny!) would be beyond hilarious if it was not sad.— Marie Elena
- How easy it is to pile on a dead man who cannot defend himself. The Freeh report was filled with gaps, hearsay and innuendo.
And suddenly it is the crime of the century to defend a man whose life and legacy have been smashed to pieces by the one mistake in judgment of bumping a complaint up the chain of command.
Remember that the first investigation of Sandusky took place under then AG Tom Corbett and there was insufficient evidence to hold him for trial. Paterno never witnessed any of the abuse, so it was all hearsay to him. Mc Cleary who DID witness an act of abuse and did not jump right in and confront the man directly is the real coward.
Those tying this story to the Catholic church scandals are also revealing the same personal bias that they accuse the author of having.
Yeah,let's all blame it on the dead guy!— Gendres - This man was a football coach. In the grand scheme of things he did NOTHING!! He directed entertainers to entertain. That is what football is entertainment. It is no different than the ballet, American Idol or Star Wars. Mentioning him with the list Flowers assembles borders on a level of delusion one might see with Rush Limbaugh. And Corbett's role in finding "insufficient evidence" is not over. He is trying to make this go away quickly so his connections with Sandusky's charity (and the campaign contributions) do not get noticed. I guess we can expect a similar column when William Lynn gets significant jail time.— mick-of-the-moment
- "I guess we can expect a similar column when William Lynn gets significant jail time."
I'm sure it will be worse. I envision old Christine wailing outside the courtroom and tearing at her hair, in addition to writing a senseless column.— Javaguy - We are all guilty of hero worship. We are all blind to the faults of great men and women because of the great accomplishments of their lives. Columbus was another great man with a great ego who saw nothing wrong with capturing native people for the slave trade....why..because that was the context of his times. All our founders were flawed men, but also geniuses with a vision for a great nation.
We acknowledge their weaknesses without diminishing their accomplishments. History sorts it all out.
But in the frenzy to redress the wrongs done to innocent children, we do allow ourselves any time to sort out the good from the bad. Throw all the bums out we yell.
Yes, that is the definition of a witchhunt.— Gendres
Email Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com Reach Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com.
