How I Explained Joe Pa's Firing, to My 16 Year Old Son

"Dad, why did they fire Joe Pa?  He didn't do anything wrong."   While we were watching ESPN's coverage of the firing of Joe Paterno (legendary PSU head football coach), our son asked that question.  The question was a big time question.  When Drew asked me that, I have to admit that it came from left field.  I wasn't quite prepared ... I wasn't thinking in that vein.  But it was a good question, one that he and his team-mates would discuss later that day at football practice. 

Let's be honest, the firing of Joe Pa is insignificant when compared to the REAL tragedy at Penn State.  As I said yesterday, "My heart breaks for those boys and their families who have been victimized and have lived through a horrible nightmare of epic proportions.   If these charges on Jerry Sandusky are true, thank the Lord an monster has been removed from our society.  The context of Drew's question came when they were talking about the firing of Joe Pa on ESPN.

So here's what I told him.  It's what we've always told our kids.  "It's always right to do what's right."  Your emotions should not factor in to your decision to do the right thing.  Right emotions FOLLOW right action, not the other way around.   

Joe Paterno said it himself, "I wish I had done more."  "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”  

In the movie "A Few Good Men", there a some great one-liners.  One of the most popular occurs when the crime is revealed and Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup) screams at Tom Cruise (Officer Kaffey) and says, "You can't handle the truth!!"  We all know and love that line.  But there was a bigger lesson in this story.  And I think that lesson applies here.

At the end, there is an amazing dialogue that takes place between the two men who were on trial named Dawson & Downey.  When it was revealed that Col Jessup was the one who committed the crime, Dawson & Downey expected to go free.  But when the charges were handed down, both men were dishonorably discharged. Watch this

 

Downey: “What did we do wrong? We did nothing wrong.”

Dawson:  “Yeah, we did. We were supposed to fight for the people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willie.”

Edwin Burke said it best when he stated, “All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

It's ALWAYS right to do what's right

It's ALWAYS right to fight for the underdog.

It's ALWAYS right to stand in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square.

It's ALWAYS right to fight for those who can't fight for themselves.

 

So, with all due respect, Coach Joe Paterno should've followed through on those claims and accusations.  He should've used his influence to make sure Sandusky was never around young boys again.  

 

"That's why he was fired, Drew.   Coach Paterno was supposed to fight for the Willies of the world.  As a matter of fact, we all are."

 

 

 

 

Comments

[phil honberger]

This is sound insight Paster Curt and as a father of two boys 9-11 its nearly impossible for me to not think of the herific events that boy under went. Living in a fallen world is not easy and I agree that is exactly why good men must step up for the cause of right, no matter what. If you dont stand for somethimg, you will fall for anything. Joe stood for manythings but in the end it was the most important thing that he did not stand up for and for that he did wrong.

[keith miller]

i agree that what has taken place with these boys is wrong. as a child i was molested so i can relate to the victims and it was my school gym teacher. what my problem with this whole situation is who are we blaming and how are fixing it?
pc calls him an animal but i would like to remind us that this animal is still loved by god. this human is mentally sick, we have a freedom of choice so we are partially to blame but when you do these crimes or sick acts you need help. this guy needs rehabilitation not punishment or what we call justice. he will get back out and megans law won't stop him. we need to pray for all these people and we need to pray and protect our children and locking people up is only temporary. big picture hate the sin and not the sinner. we need to love the sinner no matter how horrible the act. in the end can you throw the first stone? sin is sin.

[Karen Collier]

Well put Pastor Curt,
I too had to express the same explanation to my 19 year old who felt firing Paterno was unfair. There is a reason for the saying "follow through". Too often we do what seems right, but we do not complete the following through part.
What would have happened if Jesus did not follow through? Well I think we can all agree we would not be saved. We need to always follow through, it is not always enough to just report, but imperative to follow through.
Karen Collier

[Cathy Hendrixson]

Thanks PC for the excellent explanation. I agree, it is always right to do the right thing. I pray for those (then) young kids who were victimized.

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EN,I think it's right! Good Thinks!

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[Francine]

Thank you for the clear and correct blog on this topic. It's hard for people to address the wrong-doings of our Sports Gods. If Joe would have followed through he would have stopped all those subsequent years of sexual abuse. I know of a case where a friend of the family was caught and committed of sexual abuse. He had been doing this to boys for more than 10 years. The boy who finally stopped this perp had a choice. To come forward and testify (revealing publicly) or to not testify. When he asked his mom, "what will happen if I don't". She said "he will be released but everyone understands if you don't". The boy said he wanted to stop him. He would testify. How do you like that for Leadership and Follow Through!