The Blind Side of Penn State

I'm so angry. I don't want to blog about bad things and sad stories, but as a responsible adult, I can't keep my mouth shut.

We have an obligation to protect all children and those who cannot protect themselves.

I am a tiny woman, afraid of my own shadow but if you hurt someone I love, I'm going muster up every ounce of courage I have and do something, say something, find help if I need to, I'm not going to walk away. And if you're hurting someone who can't take care of themselves, again, I'm going to do something.

I read today that according to the grand jury report in 2002 a graduate assistant allegedly told Coach Paterno what was going on. 2002!!!!

We all see the commercials now, "if you see something, say something". Doesn't that apply to so every aspect of our lives? As moral adults isn't this our responsibility? What is going on?! We want to protect a coach because he's had a winning team for so long? Are you kidding me! And forgive me if I'm wrong and someone else covered up the story but this guy had to know something was going on, a lot of people had to know. How could there be a grand jury investigation dating back that long about such serious allegations and no one was put on suspension? Yet a kid who does something stupid in school is put on suspension in a second and loses his education that he/she or his/her parents are working day and night to pay for?

What is going on at Penn State is just plain disgusting. All I hear about is that a beloved coach was fired. What about these poor innocent boys that have been sexually abused, their lives changed forever? What about everyone turning their heads and saying someone else should take care of this, passing the buck, not making waves. Everyone keeping their jobs.

I moved out of my parents home and had my first apartment about 1981, I was 22 and shared it with one of my best friends, Karen. One of our neighbors was constantly beating his wife and Karen and I were constantly calling the police. Everytime we heard the fighting start, before he started throwing this women all over their apartment, Karen and I were on the phone calling the police. I can't tell you how many times we called. And we would be hiding below the peephole when the police came, popping up to look out in the hall and see what was going on. Yes, we were afraid of this man and what he would do if he knew we were the ones calling the police on him all the time, but what gave us the courage to call was the fact that we weren't afraid of him when he was beating his wife, we were angry and afraid for her, that was our only thought, protecting this stranger who could not help herself. We didn't even think about anything during those moments.

Now this particular women chose to stay with this man, I don't know why, but I'm not going to judge her. I myself have been with men who weren't good. No, they did not hit or beat me or hurt me in anyway, but when you're in love, sometimes you do stupid things, stay with a bad man or woman, just because you're heart wins over your head. But my friends saw, my family saw, they weren't in love, they told me...Tricia, this guy is no good, he's a bum, he's not worthy of you, whatever, they looked out for me when I wasn't thinking straight.

Also when I lived in that apartment with my friend Karen, we had a neighbor, a single woman with a beautiful little girl, maybe 4 or 5 years old. There were men in and out of this woman's apartment and we felt so bad for the little girl, wrestled with what we should do. The day we saw this little girl looking out a broken window to say hello to us was the day we called the police, we were waiting for an opportunity. Why was the window broke, where was her mother? Bottom line, it was our responsibility to make sure someone asked those questions, looked out for this little girl. We had to protect her and we did something. We didn't walk away and say someone else will take care of it.

If you see something, please dear God say something! And keep on saying it until something is done.