....often go awry."
This phrase is attributed to Robert Burns, the "National Poet" of Scotland in the late 1700's. The word "awry" means to turn in a twisted direction.
There are men who become "idealists", those who are given to the pursuit and committment of noble principles, sometimes in a reckless disregard to how impractical or what it may cost.
There is much pain and shock coming from the "halls of Penn State" these days, even a disbelief to the uncovering of a legacy held in the highest honors of society.
The recent stories coming out of Penn State reminds me of a quote from Edmund Burke, the great supporter of the American Revolution and a tremendous statesman in the late 1700's. He wrote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is...the good men do nothing."
"Greatness birthed from an idealism, has been in numerous scenarios throughout history...even Biblical history. Men, given to greatness.. become almost consumed with it, either by protecting their accomplishments at all costs, or thinking success gives them the right to do whatever they think is right...like King David, in all his success as the leader of Israel; killing Goliath, his attitude toward Saul (who wanted David killed), written in the Scriptures as a '"man after God's own heart"....and yet because of all his success and favor from the Lord, thought he was able to go ahead and take Bathsheba as his wife...having her husband killed to do so...even partying with him before sending him to his death. David never fully recovered to that "great love he had for the Lord" after that.
And Solomon, who loved his people, upon hearing from God Himself He would grant anything for Solomon, Solomon responded with this request: that He would always be a fair and considerate king for all his people, and his decisions would always honor the God of Israel and help His people.
Solomon, in later years married numerous women from all walks of life...and Solomon built altars and temples to the gods they worshipped...and Solomon worshipped too. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to bring financial success to Israel. He lost the closeness of his relationship with the God of Israel.
And even in our own lifetime, we have seen numerous Christian ministries (including prominent T.V. ministries), go down and be no more...yet the founders will claim it was God who made their ministries possible.
And now....Penn State.
When it was first made public...many could not even fathom a connection...sexual child abuse and Penn State football...it would seem almost criminal to even verbally state such an accusation..."Has the world gone totally nuts?'
What did this Sandusky guy do...that has everyone so fired up? The stories I am hearing...there is no way anything like that could even be thought of, let alone go on...not at Penn State...Paterno would have no part of it...and "destroy anyone even thinking about even trying such horrendous acts."
Then, Penn State Board of Trustees hires Louis Freeh to investigate and file a report on all this "crazy stuff" that we are reading and hearing about at Penn State...and about Coach Paterno.
And, Louis Freeh isn't your "normal local lawyer" within the community. Freeh is a former FBI director,and a federal judge. Good move by Penn State Board of Trustees... because NOW this will totally clear up the whole mess this has turned into.
The Louis Freeh report consisted of 267 pages. The investigation included speaking with over 400 people and reading approx. 3.5 million documents.
Duquesne law professor Wes Oliver said of the Freeh report: " The Louis Freeh report reads like a prosecution case for a child endangerment charge against Paterno, Spanier, Turley and Schutz." Oliver notes a former top official in the Philadelphia Archdiocese was convicted of the same charge in June...for allowing a suspected pediphile priest to be around children.
(Ok...wait...this is not the way the report was suppose to read....WHAT??)
The Freeh report concluded "Paterno, Spanier, Curley, and Shutz had deliberately conspired to conceal Sandusky's actions in order to protect the publicity of Penn State's vaunted football program. Further investigations revealed these 4 men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children...for over a decade."
In 2001 it was discovered Paterno had extensive conversations pressuring Curley, Schutz, and Spanier not to report a child rape to the police.
The Freeh report brought the following results from their investigation:
1. Several football assistants who knew Sandusky were aware he brought young boys to locker facilities at the Penn State. No questions..no reports...nothing.
2. By 1999, with "child-sex" issues already confronting Sandusky and known by Paterno, Schutz, Spanier, and Curley.. they allowed Sandusky (now retired) to be empowered to attract potential victims by bringing them to the unrestricted and unsupervised areas of the University's facilities. Sandusky continued to have affliation with the University's prominent football program.
3. A janitor in 2000 said he had seen Sandusky performing oral sex on a young boy. Jim Calhoun approached fellow workers in tears telling them what he had seen. He was so upset he thought he might have a heart attack. (And this is the saddest part of this incident)...The janitors, fearful of losing their jobs, decided not to report the incident to proper authorities.
Jim Calhoun, the eye witness of the horrible sex act, is now in a nursing home and not competent to testify.
4. On March 2nd, 2002 a grad asst. on the football team had found Sandusky sodomizing a boy about 10 years old. Instead of calling local police authorities, the grad. asst. called his father.
The next morning, at his father's urging, he called Paterno and told him what he had seen...although it isn't clear as to the details the grad. asst. gave Paterno. Paterno never called the local police and dismissed it as "horsing around".
Paterno did speak to the Athletic Director, Curley, and told him a grad asst. had seen Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy."
10 days later, the grad. asst. named Mike McQuery spoke with Curley and Schutz and said he had witnessed "Sandusky having oral sex with a boy." A.D. Curley later denied the statement on anal sex and referred to it as "horsing around".
The child involved?...there is no evidence any effort was made to identify the child in question.
5. After a 1999 investigation, Jerry Sandusky retired as Penn State's defensive coordinator. In his last home game, he received an ovation from the 100,000 in attendance. At a farewell gala, a number of attendee were struck by this fact: Coach Paterno did not come.
6. The damaging blow to Paterno was his testimony to the grand jury. Paterno says: "I don't know of anything else that Jerry would be involved in that nature...no." He then added: " A rumor may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody. I don't know. I don't remember, and I could not honestly say I heard a rumor."
7. E-mails show Paterno closely followed a 1998 police investigation of Sandusky that ended without charges. One particular e-mail had the caption: Jerry... Curly then asked Shutz on the e-mail: "Anything new in the dept? Coach is anxious to know where it stands?"
Excerpts from Freeh Report
Jerry Sandusky played football at Penn State...and coached at Penn State for 32 years. Sandusky had grown up in town and was a regular church goer and known for a good family man.
In Sandusky's memoir, written in 2001 and entitled: "Touched", Sandusky himself confesses to an inability to grow up. He wrote: " I had always professed that someday I would reap the benefits of maturity, but my life wouldn't let me...for the times I found myself searching for maturity, I usually come up with..."Insanity".
Jerry Sandusky formed a charitable organization for young children who needed assistance on a variety of levels. The organization, called "Second Mile" relied on Jerry as its chief fundraiser and best "cheerleader."
By 2010, Second Mile had an income of 2.2 million and total assets just under 9 million.
The Grand Jury findings wrote that 2nd Mile was also the place Jerry Sandusky would find his victims.
Until 2011, Jerry Sandusky had a smiling face on a mural in downtown State College. Michael Pilato, a local painter had created the "Inspiration" in 2001. Then, Pilato received an e-mail in late 2011 and it stated: "Michael, can you please take Sandusky off the mural?" Pilato then went and painted over the face of Jerry Sandusky.
Some thought it odd when it was disclosed Joe Paterno himself sought renegotiation of his contract in January 2011, the same month the "sex-scandal" became exposed. Paterno's present contract was not to expire untill the end of 2012.
The New York Times reported the Board of Trustees were "bombarded" with hate mail because they offered Paterno $3 million if he agreed to 2011 being his last year. Mr. Paterno and his family threatened the Board with a "defamation suit", and as a result received a package worth 5.5 million with "no strings attached."
"If you look at what happened here, it is very clear they were aware they had a pedophile on their campus." Louis Freeh
Penn State has work to be done in the upcoming years...I would humbly suggest to keep them in prayer and there is no success story bigger than...knowing Him.
All would be lost...had it not been... for the Grace of Almighty God...therefore
"By the Grace of God go I"
This phrase is attributed to Robert Burns, the "National Poet" of Scotland in the late 1700's. The word "awry" means to turn in a twisted direction.
There are men who become "idealists", those who are given to the pursuit and committment of noble principles, sometimes in a reckless disregard to how impractical or what it may cost.
There is much pain and shock coming from the "halls of Penn State" these days, even a disbelief to the uncovering of a legacy held in the highest honors of society.
The recent stories coming out of Penn State reminds me of a quote from Edmund Burke, the great supporter of the American Revolution and a tremendous statesman in the late 1700's. He wrote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is...the good men do nothing."
"Greatness birthed from an idealism, has been in numerous scenarios throughout history...even Biblical history. Men, given to greatness.. become almost consumed with it, either by protecting their accomplishments at all costs, or thinking success gives them the right to do whatever they think is right...like King David, in all his success as the leader of Israel; killing Goliath, his attitude toward Saul (who wanted David killed), written in the Scriptures as a '"man after God's own heart"....and yet because of all his success and favor from the Lord, thought he was able to go ahead and take Bathsheba as his wife...having her husband killed to do so...even partying with him before sending him to his death. David never fully recovered to that "great love he had for the Lord" after that.
And Solomon, who loved his people, upon hearing from God Himself He would grant anything for Solomon, Solomon responded with this request: that He would always be a fair and considerate king for all his people, and his decisions would always honor the God of Israel and help His people.
Solomon, in later years married numerous women from all walks of life...and Solomon built altars and temples to the gods they worshipped...and Solomon worshipped too. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to bring financial success to Israel. He lost the closeness of his relationship with the God of Israel.
And even in our own lifetime, we have seen numerous Christian ministries (including prominent T.V. ministries), go down and be no more...yet the founders will claim it was God who made their ministries possible.
And now....Penn State.
When it was first made public...many could not even fathom a connection...sexual child abuse and Penn State football...it would seem almost criminal to even verbally state such an accusation..."Has the world gone totally nuts?'
What did this Sandusky guy do...that has everyone so fired up? The stories I am hearing...there is no way anything like that could even be thought of, let alone go on...not at Penn State...Paterno would have no part of it...and "destroy anyone even thinking about even trying such horrendous acts."
Then, Penn State Board of Trustees hires Louis Freeh to investigate and file a report on all this "crazy stuff" that we are reading and hearing about at Penn State...and about Coach Paterno.
And, Louis Freeh isn't your "normal local lawyer" within the community. Freeh is a former FBI director,and a federal judge. Good move by Penn State Board of Trustees... because NOW this will totally clear up the whole mess this has turned into.
The Louis Freeh report consisted of 267 pages. The investigation included speaking with over 400 people and reading approx. 3.5 million documents.
Duquesne law professor Wes Oliver said of the Freeh report: " The Louis Freeh report reads like a prosecution case for a child endangerment charge against Paterno, Spanier, Turley and Schutz." Oliver notes a former top official in the Philadelphia Archdiocese was convicted of the same charge in June...for allowing a suspected pediphile priest to be around children.
(Ok...wait...this is not the way the report was suppose to read....WHAT??)
The Freeh report concluded "Paterno, Spanier, Curley, and Shutz had deliberately conspired to conceal Sandusky's actions in order to protect the publicity of Penn State's vaunted football program. Further investigations revealed these 4 men "failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children...for over a decade."
In 2001 it was discovered Paterno had extensive conversations pressuring Curley, Schutz, and Spanier not to report a child rape to the police.
The Freeh report brought the following results from their investigation:
1. Several football assistants who knew Sandusky were aware he brought young boys to locker facilities at the Penn State. No questions..no reports...nothing.
2. By 1999, with "child-sex" issues already confronting Sandusky and known by Paterno, Schutz, Spanier, and Curley.. they allowed Sandusky (now retired) to be empowered to attract potential victims by bringing them to the unrestricted and unsupervised areas of the University's facilities. Sandusky continued to have affliation with the University's prominent football program.
3. A janitor in 2000 said he had seen Sandusky performing oral sex on a young boy. Jim Calhoun approached fellow workers in tears telling them what he had seen. He was so upset he thought he might have a heart attack. (And this is the saddest part of this incident)...The janitors, fearful of losing their jobs, decided not to report the incident to proper authorities.
Jim Calhoun, the eye witness of the horrible sex act, is now in a nursing home and not competent to testify.
4. On March 2nd, 2002 a grad asst. on the football team had found Sandusky sodomizing a boy about 10 years old. Instead of calling local police authorities, the grad. asst. called his father.
The next morning, at his father's urging, he called Paterno and told him what he had seen...although it isn't clear as to the details the grad. asst. gave Paterno. Paterno never called the local police and dismissed it as "horsing around".
Paterno did speak to the Athletic Director, Curley, and told him a grad asst. had seen Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy."
10 days later, the grad. asst. named Mike McQuery spoke with Curley and Schutz and said he had witnessed "Sandusky having oral sex with a boy." A.D. Curley later denied the statement on anal sex and referred to it as "horsing around".
The child involved?...there is no evidence any effort was made to identify the child in question.
5. After a 1999 investigation, Jerry Sandusky retired as Penn State's defensive coordinator. In his last home game, he received an ovation from the 100,000 in attendance. At a farewell gala, a number of attendee were struck by this fact: Coach Paterno did not come.
6. The damaging blow to Paterno was his testimony to the grand jury. Paterno says: "I don't know of anything else that Jerry would be involved in that nature...no." He then added: " A rumor may have been discussed in my presence, something else about somebody. I don't know. I don't remember, and I could not honestly say I heard a rumor."
7. E-mails show Paterno closely followed a 1998 police investigation of Sandusky that ended without charges. One particular e-mail had the caption: Jerry... Curly then asked Shutz on the e-mail: "Anything new in the dept? Coach is anxious to know where it stands?"
Excerpts from Freeh Report
Jerry Sandusky played football at Penn State...and coached at Penn State for 32 years. Sandusky had grown up in town and was a regular church goer and known for a good family man.
In Sandusky's memoir, written in 2001 and entitled: "Touched", Sandusky himself confesses to an inability to grow up. He wrote: " I had always professed that someday I would reap the benefits of maturity, but my life wouldn't let me...for the times I found myself searching for maturity, I usually come up with..."Insanity".
Jerry Sandusky formed a charitable organization for young children who needed assistance on a variety of levels. The organization, called "Second Mile" relied on Jerry as its chief fundraiser and best "cheerleader."
By 2010, Second Mile had an income of 2.2 million and total assets just under 9 million.
The Grand Jury findings wrote that 2nd Mile was also the place Jerry Sandusky would find his victims.
Until 2011, Jerry Sandusky had a smiling face on a mural in downtown State College. Michael Pilato, a local painter had created the "Inspiration" in 2001. Then, Pilato received an e-mail in late 2011 and it stated: "Michael, can you please take Sandusky off the mural?" Pilato then went and painted over the face of Jerry Sandusky.
Some thought it odd when it was disclosed Joe Paterno himself sought renegotiation of his contract in January 2011, the same month the "sex-scandal" became exposed. Paterno's present contract was not to expire untill the end of 2012.
The New York Times reported the Board of Trustees were "bombarded" with hate mail because they offered Paterno $3 million if he agreed to 2011 being his last year. Mr. Paterno and his family threatened the Board with a "defamation suit", and as a result received a package worth 5.5 million with "no strings attached."
"If you look at what happened here, it is very clear they were aware they had a pedophile on their campus." Louis Freeh
Penn State has work to be done in the upcoming years...I would humbly suggest to keep them in prayer and there is no success story bigger than...knowing Him.
All would be lost...had it not been... for the Grace of Almighty God...therefore
"By the Grace of God go I"
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