What Would You Do?

I don't see any reason why JoePa shouldn't be able to finish out the season.  In fact I think it is unfair that he is taking so much heat on this topic when he has don't nothing wrong. He did not witness anything first hand and following policy in reporting what he was told. It can be so easy for people to say what they would have done differently but you will never really know without being in that exact situation on your own. Please stop giving Paterno a hard time! He is one of the most Christian men I have ever met in my life and has always been truthful in everything he has done. My prayers are with JoePa and everyone who has been unjustly hurt by the wrong doings of others.

I would like to make a comment about the Chicken Pox, have these parents not heard of vaccinations.  I live in the state of Texas and the Chicken Pox vaccination is a requirement before a child can attend school.  Why would you purposely want to make your child sick?

I agree with Michelle.  As a life time Penn State fan who has followed Joe Paterno, I can attest to the fact that he has had a great, positive influence on many young men.  My brother is a personal friend of Joe Paterno and vouches that he is a great man with upstanding values.  Also, as a teacher (as I am) he did what he was legally obliged to do and reported the incident (that he did not witness) to the proper authorities.  Now, if he knew it was still going on and looked the other way, I may feel differently, but knowing what I do about Joe, I can't believe he knew.  I know are greatest concern is about those boys who were violated, but we also need to consider those young men who have looked up to Paterno for the past four years.  They need to let him finish this season, for the current team's sake.

I am a faithful listener to klove but have been very upset about the talk on your show yesterday & today over the situation at PSU. I live in the area and I want you to know you are talking on a subject without having all the facts. Joe Paterno reported this person 10 years ago to his superiors when he got wind of allegations. He did what he was supposed to do. It is his superiors who have covered up the incidents all this time. The person wasn't even on his staff anymore at that time. Now they seem to be throwing him under the bus to save themselves. Joe is a very reputable person who cares very much about the welfare of the kids. I was particularly upset about a comment on your show yesterday that some coaches will do anything to win. Joe is not like that and has never run his program that way. It is always about the kids & their education first & foremost. He will make even his star player sit out of a game if they are ever involved in anything that would tarnish the integrity of themselves or the school. I don't think you should be part of the gossip and hatemongers who are ready to crucify him at the drop of a hat.

Paterno needs to man-up and resign immediately.  It is impossible to believe that he can sleep at night or look at himself in the mirror knowing what was going on within his staff and him doing nothing to stop it.  It is pure and simply disgusting.  There is not other way to describe it.  And, PSU should be forced to forfeit their remaining games this season, pay the opponents for all lost revenue from cancelling the games, and be put on a lengthy NCAA probation.  Many prestigious institutions have been severely punished for crimes of much less severity.  Justice needs to prevail.

When I heard your show tonight, I hadn't yet heard that Joe Paterno was stepping down.  I had read a few articles about the fussing for him to be ousted, looking deliberately for the charges, which I couldn't find.  I'm aghast at people - esp. from my Christian radio station - assuming wrongdoing!  Where's letting someone be proved guilty before pushing for a consequence?  When I got home, I looked for information, and here's what I found.

FoxSports, today, in "Joe Paterno to retire at Penn State", reported, "Curley and Schultz have since been charged with failing to report the incident to the authorities. Paterno hasn't been accused of legal wrongdoing."

Whoa!  Give the guy some grace.  If he's shown to have done something wrong, then call for him to step down.  It's a bit hard for us to know what he's done or not done unless we were there - or have seen enough actual evidence.  I think it's a travesty for him to step down without any proof of his wrongdoing.  

Scott, you said on the show that there have apparently been "admissions" of wrongdoing.  I don't see that in the news;  have you seen that?  There's a strong word for advertising something that isn't true;  I'm sure that wasn't your intention - just as I give Joe Paterno the benefit of the doubt, until I see real evidence of wrongdoing.  

Scott, you also made it clear that you were a big proponent of fighting such awful abuse because of watching your sister suffer.  I agree, of course.  But let's fight against what is actually the problem.  Let's not destroy someone else's life with assumptions.

John, That doesn't make any sense. The man who committed the crime was no longer even a coach at the time. This whole situation really has nothing to do with the football team at all other than the guy formally coached for them. Secondly, Paterno did nothing wrong so why wouldn't he be able to sleep at night??? There were no NCAA rules broke what so ever! I'm not sure where you can up with your opinion but it's certainly not based off any facts. However, I guess you are free to believe whatever you want even if it's not true.

Purposely infecting your child with chicken pox does sound crazy unless you happen to be the parents of a child who unfortunately reacts violently to vaccines.  We have a daughter who reacted to a vaccine and will bear the results of it for the rest of her life.  We have been as selective as possible with future vaccines for her and it would be nice to have a way for her to be exposed to chicken pox without the vaccine.  I am not sure how I feel about the lollipops from a child you don't know, that is scary.  I guess you would have to be really desperate.  Sometimes it is so easy to pass parents off as crazy, or illogical but remember that some of them may actually be trying to protect their children  from components in a vaccine that they have reacted to in the past. I used to be one of those parents who thought people were vaccine paranoid until my child developed problems within minutes of her vaccination.  So please be kind those who may be trying to find a way around a vacinnation for their children.

I've just listened to you talk, again, Scott.  Anyone who knows me knows I have no interest in football or Joe Paterno on a personal level at all.  I'm not upset because I'm a JoePa fan or a football fan at all.  I'm saying there should be accountability/consequences if there is actual wrongdoing, and we shouldn't accuse someone without knowing our facts, and the latter is what has me upset.

You should get your story straight before you speak your opinions on air. It's very irresponsible of you. Sandusky was not even employed by Pen State in 2002 when the incident occurred that Paterno was told about.  When he was told that Sandusky was in the shower room with a 10 year old, he reported it to Penn State. The officials at Penn State are the ones to mishandle it. Paterno was only told that Sandusky was seen there and no other details. Opinions should never be formed and discussed on air, maybe it's gossip?  Report  the CORRECT news.

I agree with Heather and Racheal. I feel Joe Paterno and the football program is taking blame when there is no proof to show they have done anything wrong. It also needs to be cleared that Sandusky was a former coach and hasn't been on the coaching staff for many years. I am a Penn State alum and wish everyone could understand that Penn State is so much more than football and that JoePa has had a huge impact on the whole campus, including the donation for our state of the arc library he doesn't just represent football.

I am appalled that there is any debate on this. He and the witness did EVERYTHING wrong! Running it up the chain of command so your conscience is clear is not doing the right thing. Calling the police and having this predator locked up was the right and moral thing. From what I have read he was told in graphic detail what was being done to the child by the witness. Read the report it's all in there - chicago.cbslocal.com/.../

Scott, although I did not hear your original comments which have obviously touched a nerve with some listeners, I would like to thank you for voicing/clarifying your opinion later.  I agree that those with knowledge of wrong doing who do not speak up in this and any situation should be forgiven but held accountable.  As Christians and KLOVE listeners we should expect nothing less than that belief from KLOVE DJs and I appreciate your honesty and the defense of innocent persons involved in such horrible crimes such as this.  Those responsible may not answer to their crimes now but they will have to answer to their Creator.

love the video and I have been praying for you kelli! and yes scott that line in i shall believe  is an amen monment but this man and some other line in a song touches me i just cant remember but in praise you in this storm and i will lift my hands the part I WILL LIFT MY HANDS and WIPE OUR TEARS AWAYS the whole song casting crown nearly changed my life music changes my life God changes me through songs so i would personaly like to thank you for what you've done for me. and my school is wilson foundation acadamey so the coach from syracuse was in my school.

I feel that there is a lot of judgement coming from people outside of the university that are a bit misinformed.  Joe Paterno did not witness anything, first and foremost.  Secondly, he connected the GA witness with the AD and the head of the university police department, thereby allowing the actual WITNESS to report the crime.  Sandusky was not employed on the football staff at the time, or else I think the JoePa would have handled it himself.  Instead, he connected the witness with the people who were responsible for retaining Sandusky as an emiritus employee.  Curley had jurisdiction over the situation and Curley and Schultz are the ones who perpetrated the cover-up, or at the very least passed the buck to The Second Mile charity, in an attempt to keep Penn State's name out of any allegations.  THAT was the wrong move.  We do not know if JoePa followed up on the allegations, nor do we know the extent of what President Spanier was told. It could be that in an attempt to cover this up, Curley and Schultz downplayed the situation to Spanier.  Spanier is a busy man, and he relies on the people in positions of authority below him to carry out their positions.  It is reasonably clear that this did not happen in this instance, if indeed the true nature of the incident were reported to Curley and Schultz.

Given JoePa's nearly impeccable record of holding people, players and coaches and even himself, to a higher standard for 46 years, I feel that it should be clear that JoePa does not put winning above all else.  He has dismissed star players from the team for minor infractions, he has disciplined entire teams for the failure of a few, he has never run up the score in an attempt to embarrass another team, etc.  His actions over his time at Penn State should count for something.  I feel like everyone looking in from the outside thinks that JoePa is like a god here at this university.  We do in fact revere him here, but he is a humble man and does not flaunt nor abuse his position here for his own gain.  He has always shown respect for those above him.  Those saying that he doesn't answer to the AD because he is so powerful are not aware of Joe Paterno, the man.  He is humble, self-deprecating, and has a sincere desire for his athletes to become better students and better men even at the risk of a losing program.  It's almost as if everyone outside looking in is excited that a man who has been held up as virtuous is indeed flawed.  It should be made clear that Joe Paterno has not held himself up as a pillar of virtue, that is purely a creation of others (including the same media that now want to destroy him and his reputation).

Finally, Joe Paterno has expressed that he is sorry that he didn't do more.  Of course, we are all looking at this with the full detail of a 23-page, 8 victim testimony - hindsight is always 20/20.  So of course it would seem logical that he should have done more.  However, with what he was told ALLEGEDLY happened and within the confines of how a big business works, he at least did something and connected the witness with the head of the police department at the university, which is more than the GA's father did, more than the GA himself did, more than the janitors at the school who also witnessed other incidents did, etc.  I am sure, based on what I know of Joe Paterno, that he is torn apart inside for the loss of innocence of these young boys.  I am sure that he does feel responsible for them - that is the kind of man that he is.  But aren't we as Christians supposed to show grace and mercy like we have been shown grace and mercy?  Why all the vilification of this man?  I just don't understand.  Couldn't we at least wait until all the facts come in and until Joe Paterno is allowed to speak as to what happened from his point of view?  We are all judging without all the facts, and that bothers me, especially from a Christian radio station that I have come to respect.

Should we even be discussing this topic?  I don't feel like it's positive or encouraging.

I am so happy that the University made the right decision to have him gone immediatly instead of waiting.  This is something that should not be taken lightly and they all should have been gone a long time ago.  Child abuse is a cause that is close to me both of my daughters were abuse by there grandfather and it did take awhile until I could forgive him.  I will never forget but I had to let go to be able to live the life that God has for me and my family.  Both of my girls have also forgiven.  My prayers are to those who were effected by this.

I'm very disappointed that JoePa was fired, and that the man who actually saw the crime happen is still coachin..  

But to Lindsay who said wouldn't justice be for JoePa to be fired like Graham Spanier, wouldn't justice also be for you and me to go to Hell for our sins??

"Mercy triumphs over justice"

We are not God and we are not those He has set in authority to enforce the law.

Andrea, thank you for the link to the report.  It's disheartening at best to read, but at least we have some facts to think about.

I wanted to take a little time to comment on “Waiting on the Cable Guy” that was mentioned yesterday. I am “A Cable Guy” and I was on my way home from a very long day at work when I heard the comment about waiting on the “Cable Guy” so today I went to the link and read the report and was shocked that it did not mention that we, atleast the company that I work for, set up a 2 hr window for ALL of our appointment’s weather it is for install’s or service call’s. It also said nothing about how many times WE make it to the appointment within the time frame and no one is home even though they knew we were coming and then they call back and INSIST that we come back and at that point they do have to wait because we are busy with other people who also had time slot’s and they WERE home when we showed up. That happens more than you would think. Now I am not saying that we never make mistakes or that we never get running behind and even sometimes just drop the ball but I am saying that WE are not always the reason why people have to wait. In addition ,atleast the Cable company I work for, if we miss the time slot our system AUTOMATICALLY gives the customer a monetary adjustment on their account without the customer even having to ask for it. As a “Cable Guy” I can tell you that WE DO CARE ABOUT YOUR TIME. One more thing and then I will quit. I would love to see a poll of the same people polled for this study and ask them how many times a year they had to call us and wait and then ask them how much time they spent waiting on friends, family, co-workers, and/or client’s who were late! Even though the later are not in most cases being paid for a service it is still costing the same amount for each hour of missed work while you wait right? I do mean all this with love and just wanted to give “The Cable Guy” a voice.

In Christ,

Bill.