I would like to voice my opinion as to the deplorable acts going on at Penn State. The desecration of a man who is no longer here to defend himself is despicable and unjustified. Removal of his statue from the public eyes is not going to bring closure to any child abuse victims. He was not the person who physically hurt them. Another man did.
The money being spent on removing the statue and other things pertaining to Joe Paterno could have been better put to use on helping the victims themselves or for other preventive programs. They might as well tear down the whole university, brick by brick, piece by piece and rebuild it up from scratch, because Joe Paterno is in every inch and crack of that campus. North to south, east to west. There is no denying that.
As for the sanctions, stripping game winning records because Paterno was the coach is just a real slap in the face. Those wins were the result of hard work and sweat by the whole football teams.
They won those games, not the coach. The loss of bowl games and fewer scholarships for four to five years will just hurt the football recruitment.
The fines enacted will in all part result in future tuition hikes so that the university can recoup that expense back.
Finally, they can remove teardown and shred any evidence of Joe Paterno's existence there or anywhere, but they can never remove his memory from our hearts and minds. It is these places that he will be forever embedded. Thanks Joe!
Mary Grace Horton
Altoona
