Go-Fight-Win-Deny-Pray a little bit?

 

JOE PATERNO: Thank you. One thing: thanks, and pray a little bit for those victims.

STUDENTS: Coach! Coach! You are a legend, Joe!

JOE PATERNO: We are Penn State!

STUDENTS: Yeah! We are Penn State!

JOE PATERNO: Thank you!

STUDENTS: You’re welcome! We love you, Joe! -democracynow.org

It seems it's all about the football. implosion-team-identity  Seeing the strange reaction of the students of Penn Sate is being described as nothing short of a phenomenon. To see people allowing their identity to be defied solely through their title as students at a particular university is disturbing. They have rioted in downtown streets over the firing of Coach Joe Paterno and assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Attached a newsman and pushed over a media truck. They claimed Paterno must be innocent because "He has done so much for our school" one students said live on national television. Psychologists are claiming this is because they are 18 and 19 year old kids who's social lives are wrapped up in Penn State Football.

But haven't we seen this before? In fact don't we not see this everyday? The guy blowing up his Facebook status about how his team lost, but it wasn't fair. The group screaming at the television at a bar while the game begins to take a bad turn. All the students high fiving in the stands after a win. Those people have nothing to do with the outcome of a game. Seeing grown men and women become more emotional about "their team" loss or win is more common than seeing people become emotionally invested over the loss of innocence for thousands of children.

Growing up in a home where one of my parents never went to college and one who did not finish, I never engaged in the typical Saturday go team go hurrah's! My father's motto in cheering for a team " I always go for the underdog." When applying for college it never accured to me to look at the team's stats only to see if I enjoyed the campus. I say all of this to allow us to reevaluate where our focus is of what is real and what is innocent. Who are the victims here the students, faculty, or the young underage boys who were being raped over a 15 year period? "We are Penn State" a phrase that could be left in the stands. "We are the Human Race" a phrase that can be used to protect those who cannot speak for themselves everyday. If you'd like to learn more or donate to the prevention of child abuse please www.preventchildabuse.org