There’s a Seinfeld episode, the last episode in fact, where Jerry and the gang are stuck in a po-dunk town and while watching someone getting held up, instead of helping, openly mocked the victim and did nothing. As a result, under the “Good Samaritan Law” they went to jail and that’s how the show ended.
Now, I don’t think about this episode often. I spend more time thinking of blocking it from my memory as a matter of fact. But it does bring to light an interesting moral question regarding when does one’s moral responsibility end?
In the rubble that is Joe Paterno’s reign at Penn State that moral responsibility is what is ultimately leading to his undoing. With the details coming out in faster and faster and with more and more harsh words and images accompanying them it’s easy and right to cast the hammer of blame on everyone at PSU that knew about this, had ability to do something, and did nothing. It is something those individuals will have to live with moving forward. But when it comes to legal actions and following laws that are set up to handle these circumstances, Joe Paterno is very much innocent.
He did what he was required to do, he notified his higher ups, and if we’re reading the Penn State rules and regulations book, he is a-OK. Yet, here we stand, Joe Pa on the verge of a forced retirement, ire being raised by fans and people trying to lend support to an individual who technically shouldn’t need it. We won’t see 84 year old Paterno in a prison jumpsuit anytime soon, but alas his legacy and career which was built on principles and doing things the right way will be tarnished by this moment.
Doing what he was required to do isn’t simply enough for a man of Paterno’s stature. There were higher ups, but there was no higher up than Paterno. He has been as much an institution at Penn State as Old Main or the field he led groups of student athletes on under his supervision. He had a responsibility to look after and nurture every aspect of his football family. When this came to his attention, he had a moral responsibility to be proactive and lead the effort to ensure proper measures were taken.
Those efforts were lax. Appropriate (by the book), but lax for a man that has a statue built in his honor. That’s why people are including Paterno in these talks and the broad brush people are using certainly cover the most iconic figure Penn State ever had. His moral responsibilities outweighed any book or law or friendly suggestion. By the book just isn’t good enough for someone that meant so much to so many people.
I know it’s over used, but “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Joe Pa’s power, his respect in Happy Valley upped the amount of duty this situation called for.
Sure, maybe he was old, tired, or felt like this wasn’t his place to act. But that is his mistake, and that is why he is in the situation he is in. People are suggesting maybe Joe Pa isn’t who we thought he was. He wasn’t this caring grandfather who was above all the corruption NCAA football has seen, but instead a man protecting his own interests and reputation. I doubt that’s the case, and time will remember Paterno in a positive light.
As for now, there is a sense of betrayal and the people that used to revere Joe Paterno will only seem him as an absentee landlord.