jls,

Your Scorn is a garment I refuse to don.

While I understand you have strong feelings about statements I made in a previous post; I stand by my previous posting which you quoted thusly: "He was manipulated and vicitmized and conned into allowing it to continue for years. These are facts".

I did not indicate that Joe Paterno was a child.

I did not indicate that Joe Paterno was in the same catagory as Jerry Sandusky's child victims.

Experience has taught me that active Pedophile Predators manipulate, victimize and con not only their victims, but also many adults who can help them gain power over their victims. (In my history it was my own parents who delivered me up for sodomy!)

If you disagree with me, that is your perogative, but if you make accusations then I submit you should be able to PROVE Them. I never equated Joe Paterno to Jerry's Victims, that was your suggestion of what I meant. I never said that Joe Paterno was a child or should be treated as such, again that was what your statements indicated you believed me to have meant.

Joe Paterno is dead, and his counsel being unavailable, I submit that you are no better qualified than I to submit conjecture about his reasons for avoiding reporting Jerry Sandusky to appropriate authority. I am a CSA and INCEST and RAPE SURVIVOR. I have carried the wounds that cannot be named....and I did not attack you.

I spent several moments in conjecture over whether or not to post this reply. I do not intend to anger you or anyone. I simply cannot accept that the interpretation you showed my words was correct. I OBJECT.

Geoff

What I objected to in your post was your statement that Joe Paterno was somehow a victim of the same deceit and manipulation that Jerry Sandusky used overall and most specifically toward his child victims. I feel it is absurd to call a man of Paterno's stature, authority and position a victim of Sandusky, and even more so since Sandusky's position at PSU was that of Paterno's subordinate. I'm sorry that you were offended by my response to your post but I don't apologize for it. Last I looked this is an open forum and with that you can expect a response to what you post. On that note thank you for replying to my response since even though we don't agree I too must be accountable for what I write here, which in this case I stand by.

jls,

ALLOW ME TO BE CLEAR:

I did not indicate that Joe Paterno was a child.

I did not indicate that Joe Paterno was in the same catagory as Jerry Sandusky's child victims.

Experience has taught me that active Pedophile Predators manipulate, victimize and con not only their victims, but also
many adults who can help them gain power over their victims. (In my history it was my own parents who delivered me up for sodomy!)

When I was 24 I confronted my abuser....I CAN DO NO LESS TODAY...

NOT A DOORMAT--Geoff

I appreciate you clarifying that, and your right that pedophiles do manipulate other adults in children's lives in order to abuse. However, even in this context I still take issue with applying the victim label to Paterno. For one, even if he was blind to what Sandusky was up to it was willfully so since there was an obvious motivation on Paterno's part to keep Sandusky's activities quiet, that being to protect PSU's football program above all else. Second, like I keep re-iterating, Paterno was a man with a lot of power, and as Sandsuky's superior over him in particular, so logic dictates that the victim label doesn't apply. Paterno may have been manipulated but certainly without putting up much resistance to it, and like I said he had his own motivations to not protest Sandusky's behaviour too loudly.

I understand you took issue with my labeling Joe Paterno as a victim. Indeed I think Paterno is lucky to be dead, or he would be incarcerated for his crimes. However, I never said he was blind to Sandusky's activities. (If you read other posts of mine about Paterno/Sandusky/Penn State here you will find that I do attribute a great deal of responsibility to Joe Paterno for the protection of Jerry Sandusky) I agreed with your statement's intent, but felt as you accused me wrongfully.

Perhaps we can bury the hatchet. I do not disagree with your point of view, just felt as if you misquoted me....I will not refer to Paterno as a victim again. Especially in the light of his crimes and the likely hood of his incarceration should he have survived.

Best Regards,

Geoff

I misunderstood when you said Paterno was a victim as I took it in the same sense that Sandusky's child victims were. I understand now that this isn't what you meant, and I appreciate it that you no longer describe Paterno as a victim in any other context. As far as burying the hatchet goes please know that it was not my intention to pick a fight with you or anyone else. I can be passionate when expressing my views and while being disagreed with is not always comfortable I respect the courage it shows to challenge someone's opinion so thank you for that.

jls,

You have represented yourself very well here. I am also appreciative, especially of your being both truthful and courageous. Thank you for your statements, and (I hope) your friendship.

thank you also to Peroperic2009, without whose timely advice and gentle encouragement helped me to edit vitriolic statements and say exactly what I meant without undue embarasement to myself.

jls, thank you very much. I respect what you have said.

Geoff