My husband, Frank, who is the Pennsylvania Police Commissioner, stepped out of his room at the Nittany Lion Inn on Friday morning when a surreal sight stopped him. At each doorway lay a complimentary copy of USA Today. As he walked down the hall, the headline, “Victim One,” repeated over and over like a silent cry.
Frank spent Thursday night in State College because rioting broke out on the campus the night before. By the next day, sentiment changed from anger over Joe Paterno’s firing, to compassion for the victims. A candlelight vigil demonstrated that.
To say that this week has been shocking, sad, and horrific would be an understatement. Our prayers go out to the victims, the students of Penn State, and those involved in the scandal.
No one was more surprised than Frank to see his remarks about the moral obligation to report child abuse race across the nation like a giant tsunami. Those words echoed the sentiments of a grieving public.
But in every tragedy, God provides the opportunity for healing. I believe people will be more willing to report abuse, and legislators will propose new laws. Penn State can be reborn as a better university with higher standards. Already, the Penn State community has shown that compassion for the victims rises higher than football.
But this story will not go away. “Victim One” will cry in the halls of justice until justice is done.
I think you are right, Cindy. I think the true horror of this unreported crime has galvanized the nation. How could this happen and go unreported? Hopefully it has raised awareness! Love you.
ReplyDeleteAlison
Ahhhh. Take note that it was reported, as dictated by policy and law. It would be accurate to say that if you qualified it to Spanier or Curley, but thanks to Cindy's self appointed moral compASS husband, the stink rolled down on one man, never charged but convicted by the lynch mob Noonan organized, probably Corbett working the puppet strings. The real shame is that a man who influenced so many lives positively was damned by an agent of the governor who, as AG shirked the issue, didn't do his duty due to political gamesmanship, and effectively gave Sandusky a pass over a decade earlier. I hope Noonan enjoys the flavor of the boots he is licking.
Deletethanks to the rash comment by your husband that you referenced Cindy, he started a tide of condemnation of Penn State that has completely overridden due process for so many that have not yet had the benefit of having their day in court unlike the monster who perpetrated these crimes who is now right where he belongs- in jail for the rest of his life. I only wish your husband in his role as a member of the law enforcement community had seen his way clear to not make such damaging statements. It did nothing to change or alter or alleviate what happened to the poor and innocent victims of Jerry Sandusky and in fact only added to the list of casualties. Not sure how he sleeps at night knowing that....
ReplyDeleteCindy, I am still angry at your husband's irresponsible, premature and unfair accusations against Joe Paterno. He single handedly began the media onslaught that has now left the PSU in tatters. If I were the Paternos, Frank Noonan would be the first one I would pursue with a slander and defamation lawsuit. His accusations against Joe Paterno were absolutely inexcusable and unprofessional. It's too late for Joe Paterno to answer to the charges your husband unfairly leveled, however your husband could still at least try to make things right and admit his words were unprofessional and unfair and apologize to the Paterno family, and all of the Penn State that has been unfairly maligned by your husbands words going viral.
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps your husband was just deflecting blame... or projecting guilt? Shame.
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ReplyDeleteYour husband destroyed one of the most philanthropic men in State College history with his prejudicial and slanderous statements. Your blog even implies that Paterno did not report the suspected abuse, which he of course did. It apparently your husband that did not follow up and do enough. Time to apologize to the Paterno family for destroying them and dealing a horrible wound to the Penn State community.
ReplyDeleteFrank Noonan is a hypocrite of the first order. He made the following statement, but of course when Joe Paterno was not even charged or implicated in a Grand Jury Presentment about Sandusky, that of course was different. Noonan could bear false witness all he wants in that case. It was apparently very fair to him.
ReplyDelete"It's not fair for us to talk about people who aren't charged in the presentment, so I'm not going to," said Noonan. "But you're free to read through it because I think you can draw conclusions about the way things were done."
http://www.abc27.com/story/21634231/8-charged-for-pay-to-play-on-the-pa-turnpike