General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAs a Pennsylvanian, I see the Sandusky case as being analogous to Watergate and here's why:
You have a series of crimes, in this more recent case a heinous, perverted, disgusting, horrifying, overwhelmingly-overarching-ly repulsive violent offender and in the previous case, you have a planned burglary of a headquarters of a political party by a combination of criminals who represented various segments of the powers that be in order to possibly achieve goals which have never been widely discussed by the MSM and probably never will be.
In both cases, very very powerful people knew of the commission of the crimes a priori and allowed them to proceed for a variety of personal, political, and professional reasons. The sacrifice at the altar of the Judiciary/Congress of the burglars, of White House personnel, and ultimately the President was made in order to keep the real status quo of the Plan. The implementation of the Plan has been very successful as we have all witnessed over the past 32 years, and its continued success is all but guaranteed in my very humble opinion. Similarly, it is evident here in Pennsylvania that the Sandusky conviction is being played as 'closure', as 'justice', and as how 'the system works'. There have even been articles which allude to the fact that poor Joe Paterno was sent to an early grave by this convicted pedophile. The fact of the matter, and I don't doubt this for an instant, is that everyone involved in athletics, in local State College politics, and Statewide politics has known about this for decades. I know they have, I can judge by how measured their responses were when the story first broke and their incredible nervousness as each horrible detail came to light in the media.
This has been quietly whispered for years in and around State College, and those of you who don't live here may not fully comprehend the incredibly complex weave of the tentacles involving the University within every aspect of the Commonwealth. My father of blessed memory held an honorary position involving one of the published products of the University and he told me three things only about Penn State: first, he told me that Joe Paterno and his brother owned enormous amounts of real estate and other holdings including a goodly portion of the broadcast of the games, AND that my father was livid when Paterno spoke at a Republican Convention because he and Paterno were both employees of the Commonwealth and that was strictly forbidden, AND that Paterno was the Emperor of the entire State and held more power than anyone, ANYONE who lived here. He only had to pick up a telephone and you were history. Every politician of every stripe curried favor and woe betide anyone who got on his nerves. I really couldn't care less that he donated to President Obama's campaign: my point is that there was nothing he didn't know, and nothing was ever going to occur which would derail his Empire, until this creep, this slimy sonofabitch did what he did and was finally revealed to the world.
Now you observe: they are going to say, "Thank God this Chapter is finally closed and we can move on." Well, they may close the book, but I'm telling you, if that happens, there are going to be a whole lot of people breathing a big sigh of relief. And a whole lot of important people are in that group. If you believe that the resignation of Nixon answered all the questions from Watergate, then you'll be satisfied here. I certainly shall not be.
Broderick
(4,578 posts)Just my thoughts. Maybe Sandusky will squeal. Want to see the donation lists for all those in charge too.
PCIntern
(25,584 posts)villager
(26,001 posts)n/t
Response to villager (Reply #3)
Drunken Irishman This message was self-deleted by its author.
Nostradammit
(2,921 posts)Aerows
(39,961 posts)He won't "squeal", because he and those like him think they did nothing wrong, but it's going to lead to a bunch of higher ups being revealed as pedophiles.
It's disgusting. These are people who think they did nothing wrong, when in fact, they destroyed countless young men and women.
Broderick
(4,578 posts)and the segment edited out as well.
He does think what he did is not wrong. Frankly, the whole man love boy thing has a bunch that think they do nothing wrong. Is it wiring or is it society or is it just fucked up?
I don't care what it is. They ought not be around children and they ought be locked up.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)Seriously? Is that what you would do?
Broderick
(4,578 posts)I am sure he had delusions of grandeur that he would get off because he seemed to think he did nothing wrong to start with. It's a brain wiring thing.? Maybe once reality strikes he opens up.
gregoire
(192 posts)It's just Republicans doing what Republicans do.
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)Aerows
(39,961 posts)and they all know each other. Will Sandusky roll though? No. He and those of his ilk think they did nothing wrong which makes them more frightening to society than anything else.
PCIntern
(25,584 posts)Good luck with that...
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)Paterno riding herd over the entire state is so laughable that it could only come from the fevered imaginations in the Philly suburbs. Good luck with that.
PCIntern
(25,584 posts)Rendell kowtowed to him for decades now...even after it was known that he covered up the crimes. When Joe called people jumped.
Your cynicism is misplaced. This is a very small state and very small community.
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)Thanks.
KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)The underlying story here is the large amount of power and money that surrounded Paterno and the Penn State football program. I once heard someone compare the University as the replacement of the steel mills and how the football program was the catalyst for a lot of money in the region. When you have so much money and power consolidated around a few people abuses can and do happen.
Evidence points that there were others within the athletic program that knew of Sandusky's pedophilia but looked the other way as not to upset the apple cart and he used this to protect his vile activities. Any scandal was not acceptable and as long as it could be contained then no one was the wiser. Whose the media going to believe? Some goofy looking kid or the well-known, very popular coach whose wins and loses protect any closer scrutiny. Too many paychecks, too many reputations and ultimately too many victims enabled Sandusky to think he could get away with his obsessions and even think he could convince a jury to acquit him.
I've long said that this scandal won't find closure until there's a full investigation into the decades long cover-up of his activities. With his convictions, I expect a round of civil litigation to begin that may unravel who protected Sandusky...
Cheers...
gregoire
(192 posts)doesn't mean he was one. That is taking it a little too far. After all, while JoePa may have enjoyed hearing about these things happening, it doesn't mean he wanted them to happen.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)shortly after declining to prosecute Sandusky, when those around him were sure he would because it was such a strong case.
you know none of this would have gone unpunished without people in law enforcement that were complicit. That a prosecutor went missing after ruling it inadmissible to court is staggeringly interesting.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)certain boys who were in foster care, and that they would then be supplied?
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)rocktivity
(44,577 posts)Last edited Fri Jun 27, 2014, 06:57 PM - Edit history (11)
Paterno was the Emperor of the entire State and held more power than anyone, ANYONE who lived here...(T)here was nothing he didn't know, and nothing was ever going to occur which would derail his Empire, until this creep, this slimy sonofabitch did what he did and was finally revealed to the world.For decades, Paterno had the luxury of not being very concerned with Sandusky's "activities" because of the strong defensive line he'd built around his empire -- a line that, as you say, also encompassed Pennsylvania's political structure. That's why Paterno wasn't criticized, never mind wasn't punished, for speaking at the 1988 GOP convention (as a state employee, it was illegal), and why every previous punishment of Sandusky resulted only in wrist taps and gentle demotions.
And remember the judge who gave Sandusky no-money-down bail and freedom to travel? When I learned that Sandusky's youth foundation had sponsored a fundraiser for her, I gave her the benefit of the doubt: as one of Sandusky's demotions, he ended direct involvement in the foundation in 2008. There was only one logical explanation for the judge not even considering recusing herself -- the fundraiser must have taken place AFTER 2008. But noooo, it turned out that it took place in 2007!
Who knew (or should have known) what about Sandusky, when did they know it, and why didn't they at least try to stop him sooner? Damned good questions -- and they need to be asked all the way up to the Pennsylvania's governor's office.
rocktivity
blue neen
(12,328 posts)The questions DO need to be asked all the way up to the Pennsylvania governor's office. I hope that truly happens, because there were enablers every step of the way.
Tom Corbett is looking a little ragged these days...he must have a lot on his mind.
PCIntern
(25,584 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)male journalists who have broken major stories.
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)This was posted on Kos today:
"Now that Jerry Sandusky has been convicted on 45 counts related to sex crimes he committed, I want to thank Sara Ganim, a journalist for the The Patriot-News, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based newspaper, who, after breaking the Sandusky story, also became CNN's primary contributor for their coverage of the Sandusky trial, earning her national recognition.
"Sara Ganim is a true journalist. She didn't try to become the story, she reported it. Sadly, in today's news media culture, most journalists often try to become bigger than the news that they report. That's not Sara Ganim's style. Ganim broke a story that she could have single-handedly turned into sensationalist tabloid fodder, but she took the high road and reported every major development regarding the Sandusky case in a non-sensationalist, "hard news" manner that is rarely seen in today's media culture.
"Sara Ganim deserves a round of applause."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/23/1102469/-I-m-proud-of-Sara-Ganim-for-her-work-covering-the-Sandusky-trial
She won a Pulitzer for her coverage of the case.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)blue neen
(12,328 posts)A true journalist is a rare thing these days.
Thanks for the info...I didn't realize that Sara won the Pulitzer.