(CBS) It’s been a nice few days for the Rationalists — the few of us that seem to exist at times — as veneers of myth were stripped away from polarizing storylines, and the truth exposed.

Right now, sanity feels like sunshine.

If Tim Tebow is truly an instrument of god, then god is bad at football. 43% of Americans participating in a Poll Position phone survey last week said they believed that “divine intervention” played a role in Tebow’s game. Not his own confidence, not his unshakable faith, but actual intervention taking place on the field.

Either those people are wrong, or their god isn’t as powerful as Bill Belichick, making any normal person question the value of worshipping it. Or it doesn’t exist at all. Tebow got a holy beating Saturday, and now the wide-eyed, evangelical hoo-hah swirling around him looks deservedly foolish.

It will return with same stupid fervor in due time, I’m sure, but for now we can enjoy discussion of blocking and tackling, rather than messianic prophecy and bible passages. The ridiculous Tebow stuff has been ushered out of the building, banished like the unwanted party guest who was ruining it for everybody.

Get lost, and take the idiot fans with you.

Elsewhere, it has been made entirely clear to anyone paying attention that the sick cult of Penn State football has chosen to stand firmly behind a bad man who enabled the rape of children for years, even as he damned himself further in an exclusive interview published Saturday.

In this case, too, phony rhetoric gave way to reality.

School president Rodney Erickson conducted three town-hall-style meetings with alumni over the weekend, taking questions from packed hotel ballrooms in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York.

If the intent was to publicly recalibrate a collective moral compass, the road show was a miserable, frightening failure.

Each stop became the grownups’ turn to stage their version of the campus riot, wailing about Joe Paterno’s dismissal, utterly unconcerned about children he chose not to protect. The meetings were marked by tirades, ovations and catcalls that proved the Penn State community is as diseased as we believed, if not more so.

No brush is broad enough to paint them, after this obvious representation of their feelings and priorities. We blew right past sample-size issues. No reasonable person could observe the way these masses of adults behaved — in three different cities, three separate crowds, and not come away convinced of the sheer rottenness of it all. There is no shame.

As this was going on, Paterno was making it clear that he didn’t want to stop Jerry Sandusky, even after he was informed that his longtime right-hand-man had molested a child in the locker room.

Paterno took time away from his drain-circling to talk with the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins, under the watchful eye of his high-powered criminal lawyer. She wrote that Paterno “was hesitant to make follow-up calls because he did not want to be seen as trying to exert any influence for or against Sandusky.”

Let that sink in.

In his sworn testimony, he told the grand jury that he was aware that Sandusky’s assault was of a “sexual nature.” If that’s something you’re not actively, aggressively against, then you’re for it.

So ends any question about Paterno’s motivations. He allowed a known predator to use his football program to facilitate child rape, and just didn’t care enough to stop it.

In a short period of time, satisfying evidence has emerged to bring needed clarity on three fronts, especially to those unwilling or unable to see through a self-created haze of irrationality.

Tim Tebow is not powered by some invisible being that intervenes in NFL games to his benefit, Penn State university is dangerously crazy, and Joe Paterno decided to let horrible things happen to kids.

See, the truth doesn’t hurt. Sometimes it feels pretty damn good.

Dan Bernstein joined the station as a reporter/anchor in 1995, and has been the co-host of ‚ÄúBoers and Bernstein‚Äù since 1999. Read more of Bernstein’s columns, or follow him on Twitter: @dan_bernstein.

The Boers and Bernstein Show airs every weekday from 1PM to 6PM on The Score, 670AM (or you can listen online).
Listen to The Boers and Bernstein Show podcasts »

From http://deadspin.com/5875890/

By Dom Cosentino

5:43 New Penn State President Rodney Erickson met with alumni in King Of Prussia last night to explain decisions made in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal.

5:55 Stu Bykofsky defends Tim Tebow in today’s Daily News.

Tim Tebow (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

6:10 Mitt Romney should defend his tenure at Bain Capital to prove the attacks against him are false. 

6:41 Governor Tom Corbett has suggested a state takeover of the Chester-Upland School District.

6:44 Parents and teachers are rallying in an effort to save their Catholic School from closing.

6:45 Joe Biden will be in Bucks County today protesting the rising costs of college tuition.

6:58 A woman has fired from her job at a pretzel factory for wearing a prosthetic penis to work.

7:10 On this week’s Finance Friday, Chris talks to Steve Cordasco about what Bain Captial does and how capital investment works in the market.

7:40 Chris talks to Daily News Columnist Will Bunch, who was at last night’s meeting between Penn State President Rodney Erickson and local alumni.

8:10 Chris talks to CBS 3′s Beasley Reece to preview this weekend’s NFL Playoff games and departure from the Eagles of Player Personel Director, Ryan Grigson.

8:40 Chris talks to Movie Critic Leonard Maltin to preview this weekend’s Golden Globe awards.

[ooyala code="BheGNhMzo-6JW86jAF7yG-B5MCjYi-uw"]

Penn State University’s new president is going around the commonwealth trying to save the image of his school.

The Penn State name has been tarnished by a child sex scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The university’s response has also been roundly criticized.

About 600 Penn State alumni turned out for Thursday night’s town hall meeting in Valley Forge. It was billed as an opportunity for them to ask questions face to face with the university’s new president Rodney Erickson.

The alumni clearly have some questions to ask.

“But it just seems like everyone, the board of trustees, you just bowed to this media forestorm.”

Rodney Erickson is the 17th president of Penn State, a 30-year veteran of the school who took over the top post in November, in the middle of what may be the school’s biggest crisis.

He was promoted on the same night the board of trustees relieved long time football coach Joe Paterno of his duties.

Judging by the sentiments at the town hall meeting near Philadelphia, the decision to relieve Paterno remains hugely unpopular.

“He is the single most important Penn Stater in the history of the university,” said one spectator.

“I want to tell you the week of November 9 for all of us who were in the eye of the storm was almost unimaginable,” said Erickson.

This was the second of three town halls hosted by Erickson, and he faced tough questions from alumni about the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal, and how the school is handling the crisis.

The alumni lashed out at the administration, and the media, and even called for the entire board of trustees to be replaced.

“I personally call for the alumni in this room and across the country to send a message to the board letting them know that we do not have confidence in their ability to meet their obligations,” said one Penn State graduate.

Lending an almost surreal angle to the evening was former Penn State football great Franco Harris.

He too believes the administration and the trustees are not being honest about the Paterno firing.

“Duh, do they think that we are that dumb. That’s exactly what they said two months ago, and they think we ought to swallow that,” said Harris.

Erickson, an academic and longtime faculty member at Penn State, often found it hard to find the answers this audience wanted to hear.

“I will not allow this great university and its long and historic legacy as a leader in higher education to be defined by this horrible tragedy,” said Erickson.

By Ian Bush and Todd Quinones

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) – More than 600 Penn State alumni were at a hotel in King of Prussia Thursday night, looking to the university’s president for answers as a child sex abuse investigation continues and controversy remains over the firing of Joe Paterno.

Rodney Erickson says moving forward is essential — but to do so, the president says he knows he must demand openness and transparency.

For an hour and a half tonight, it was demanded of him.

From people who called on him to apologize and make things right with the longtime coach, and from those who said the Penn State board of trustees mishandled the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse allegations and allowed a scandal to explode.

Erickson pledged to honor the Paterno’s appropriately, and sit down with them when the time was right.

As for the board, Erickson says there are many questions they have yet to answer — he called on the alumni to press the trustees for details, but heard loud boos when he cautioned against a rush to judgment.

As for the alleged sex abuse victims, he says he’ll make sure Penn State sees they get justice.

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Erickson is attempting to repair the school’s image more than two months after former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky’s arrest on abuse charges brought controversy, criticism and contemplation to Penn State.

Erickson was greeted by polite applause at the 90-minute meeting, the first of three sessions with alumni this week. The second one is being held Thursday evening near Philadelphia.

He said critics have accused the university of having problems with openness and communication but that the school “will do better in the future.”

But Jean Spadacene was shocked to learn that Erickson hasn’t even spoken to Joe Paterno since the longtime coach was fired in early November.

“I would think one of the first things on his to-do list would be to send a note to Joe. And he didn’t do that,” she said.

Dave Hrinak, a 1980 graduate who lives near Pittsburgh, said before the meeting that he has one main message for Erickson.

“Never again let anybody get as much power as Joe Paterno had,” Hrinak said, adding that he feels that way even though he respects Paterno and is a season ticket holder at football games.

The most sustained and passionate applause of the evening came from a questioner who suggested that the entire board of trustees step down, but Erickson failed to build on the emotion.

“I think the board will have to make those decisions,” said Erickson, who is also scheduled to speak to alumni in New York City on Friday.

Asked for how many defendants Penn State is paying legal fees, Erickson replied that was “a difficult question to answer.” He said the school will start posting details of what the crisis has cost in legal and other fees next week.

After one questioner called the treatment of Paterno “unconscionable” on Wednesday, Erickson responded by saying that “We will certainly want to honor Joe as the future unfolds.”

Pressed for details later in the evening on what that meant, he replied that there were “no plans in place yet, but there will be.”

Erickson also said that the board of trustees “will certainly have to speak to how that decision” to fire Paterno was made, but he didn’t criticize the board.

“No, I supported their decision,” Erickson said after the event.

Paterno, a legendary figure in sports, was replaced last week by New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. He has described the scandal as one of the great sorrows of his life and has said that in hindsight he wishes he had done more after allegations against Sandusky were raised.

The alumni meeting came as investigators re-interview current and former employees of Penn State’s athletic department as part of the case against the 67-year-old Sandusky, who’s charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky remains out on $250,000 bail while awaiting trial.

Two Penn State administrators are facing charges they lied to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Gary Schultz, a former vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, have denied the allegations and await trial.

Although Sandusky has maintained his innocence, at one point Erickson seemed to imply that abuse did occur.

“There are victims out there, and we need to do the right thing by those victims,” Erickson said.

Alumni want transparency, said Virginia A. Feinman, a television news assignment editor who plans to attend the New York forum.

Feinman is a member of Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, a group that believes Paterno’s firing and the ousting of Erickson’s predecessor, Graham Spanier, were mishandled. The organization said it hopes to back candidates to run for elected alumni seats on the board of trustees.

Erickson said Tuesday he will step down when his contract ends in 2014.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

The problem, say alumni, is that he’s not really saying much about anything, and his offices are as tight-lipped with media requests as they were in the past.

PR expert David LaTorre says Penn State hasn’t done anything to improve their image, and that President Erickson should be the last person to be the face of the University.

He joins KDKA AM’s Larry Richert and John Shumway with a scathing critique of how the University and its trustees are still mishandling Penn State’s image.

[audio_link url="http://cbspittsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/davidlatorre.mp3" name="PR Expert David LaTorre On Penn State" artist="Lary Richert & John Shumway"]

In the first of three town hall meetings, Erickson began by telling the crowd that openness and communication are his guiding principles.

He also said he will not allow the school or the football program to be defined by the tragedy.

Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing 10 boys.

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Many of the questions pertained to how the Board of Trustees handled the scandal.

Some were upset that legendary coach Joe Paterno was fired.

Erickson said it is his hope to honor Paterno in some way, but says he understands that the board had to take decisive action.

Erickson says the values of the school do not begin with what is lawful or unlawful but rather, what’s the right thing to do.

He also says alumni must continue to wear Penn State blue and white proudly.

One alum from Upper Saint Clair said he appreciated Erickson being as open as he can be, but he said he still has unanswered questions concerning the scandal.

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Erickson is attempting to repair the school’s image with alumni, faculty, staff and students more than two months since former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky’s arrest brought controversy, criticism and contemplation to the school.

Some alumni have criticized the university’s failure to conduct a complete investigation before firing Paterno and ousting Erickson’s predecessor, Graham Spanier, while decrying the leadership as secretive and slow to act.

Erickson, who was greeted by polite applause, told the crowd at the start of Wednesday night’s 1 1/2-hour meeting in Pittsburgh that openness and communication are his guiding principles. He said critics have accused the school of having problems in those areas recently and the school “will do better in the future.”

When he said he won’t allow the scandal to define the university nor “our outstanding football program,” the audience of about 600 people burst into applause.

But the first questioner called the treatment of Paterno “unconscionable,” drawing some applause and a few boos.

“We will certainly want to honor Joe as the future unfolds,” Erickson replied.

And there was passionate and prolonged applause for another person’s suggestion the board of trustees step down.

“I think the board will have to make those decisions,” Erickson replied to some groans from the crowd.

Erickson, who said an investigation into what the trustees knew and when is ongoing, declined to answer several questions, such as why the school fired Paterno when the coach had already announced that he would retire at the end of the season.

Asked for how many defendants Penn State is paying legal fees, Erickson replied that was “a difficult question to answer.” He said the school will start posting details of what the crisis has cost in legal and other fees next week.

The alumni meeting came as investigators re-interview current and former employees of Penn State’s athletic department as part of the case against the 67-year-old Sandusky, who’s charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky has denied the charges and remains out on $250,000 bail while awaiting trial.

The alumni meeting in Pittsburgh is the first of three; the others are planned in coming days in suburban Philadelphia and New York. They are being sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association, which has received thousands of emails and phone calls about the scandal, association president Roger Williams said.

Two Penn State administrators are facing charges they lied to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Gary Schultz, a former vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, have both denied the allegations and await trial.

Paterno, a legendary figure in sports, was fired and was replaced last week by New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. He has described the scandal as one of the great sorrows of his life and has said that in hindsight he wishes he had done more after allegations against Sandusky were raised.

Monica Thomas, who graduated with an architectural engineering degree in 1985 and has two children enrolled at Penn State, planned to attend the Pittsburgh town hall but had low expectations. She watched a similar event in State College for students and staff and was not impressed.

“I don’t think they really gave any answers,” Thomas said before the meeting. “But we shall see. You’re allowed to submit questions. They’re reaching out, but I don’t think it’s going to do much.”

Alumni want transparency, said Virginia A. Feinman, a television news assignment editor who plans to attend the New York forum.

“I hope that they listen to us,” said Feinman, a 2003 college graduate with a degree in English and journalism. “I hope that they come in with an open mind and actually listen to what the students and alumni have to say and truly hear why we are so upset. It has nothing to do with football. It has to do with the veil of secrecy that’s been operated under for what appears to be numerous years.”

Thomas and Feinman are members of Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, a group that believes Paterno’s firing and the ousting of Spanier were mishandled. The organization hopes to back candidates to run for elected alumni seats on the Board of Trustees.

Trustee Marianne Alexander said it’s good that Erickson is providing an opportunity for alumni to weigh in on the scandal and give their opinion on the university’s response to it.

“It’s important for President Erickson to be able to hear what they have to say and also to explain his point of view,” said Alexander, president emerita of the Public Leadership Education Network and a resident of the Washington area. “So I think it’s very healthy. I’m glad he’s doing it.”

Trustee Linda B. Strumpf, a retired chief investment officer for the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said the focus at the meetings should be on plans for the future and not on past events such as Paterno’s firing.

“If people ask (Erickson) about it, he wasn’t in the room and wasn’t really involved,” said Strumpf, of New York. “They’re not going to get much out of him on that subject.”

Erickson said Tuesday he will step down when his contract ends in 2014.

The presiding judge in the Sandusky case said Wednesday that arguments would be heard in less than three months on pretrial issues. Trial is unlikely before autumn, a Sandusky lawyer said.

Current or former staffers of the football program are among those being interviewed anew by the attorney general’s office, according to a person who was familiar with the case but was not authorized to speak and talked on condition of anonymity. Plans for the interviews were first reported by The Patriot-News of Harrisburg.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office in Harrisburg declined to comment.

Sandusky attorney Karl Rominger, told by a reporter of the new interviews, said prosecutors would not go back to people they have already interviewed if they had nailed down the facts the first time around.

“They had years to take statements and get reliable evidence,” he said Wednesday. “Going back after the fact shows they did not gather, and may never be able to gather, the proof they seek. Further, it suggests to jurors that charges were brought on flawed or inadequate information in the first instance.”

Erickson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday that Spanier informed members of the board of trustees about the grand jury investigation months before he was charged in November. He said he did not know details of what was discussed when Spanier met with board members in May or July when Erickson was the university’s provost.

“I have no idea, because I wasn’t there,” the paper quoted Erickson as saying. “Nor did I know it was taking place.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Penn State University President Rodney Erickson will address and take questions from concerned alumni at a town-hall meeting about the direction of the university in the aftermath of the scandal.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Pittsburgh. Hundreds of alumni are expected to be in attendance.

Already full, the gathering will have Erickson address the future of Penn State the university, not Penn State the football program.

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How the school handled the sexual abuse scandal is expected to be front and center. The repercussions of the incident spreading from State College to places like the campus of Penn State New Kensington.

“Absolutely, it’s sad, but I think it has just because of everything that’s going on with Sandusky and everything but – I don’t know – people just need to look past that,” said Brittney Yanoff, a PSU senior.

Erickson’s already said he’ll only serve two years as PSU’s president.

For students at New Kensington, that period will prove critical in refocusing the university’s overall mission to academic and educational excellence, and not final scores on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

“I’d focus on academics more so than anything,” Andrew Lee, a PSU sophomore, said. “I know Penn State’s also known for engineering as well, but a lot of students and some of my friends actually were more worried about that incident dealing with JoePa than their classes going on.”

After tonight’s meeting, Erickson will hold two other public meetings to hear views on the university – one to be held in King of Prussia, Pa., and the final one to be held in New York City.

Meanwhile, retired Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has waived his criminal arraignment hearing scheduled for today. He is facing dozens of child sexual abuse charges.

Sandusky’s next court appearance is a pre-trial conference scheduled for late March.

MORE: KDKA Coverage Of The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal
STORY: Sandusky Vows To Continue Fighting Charges Against Him
WARNING Contains Graphic Material: New Grand Jury Presentment (12/7)
WARNING Contains Graphic Material: Read The Entire Grand Jury Presentment
AG, PSP Commissioner Statements: Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
LINK: Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
LINK: Penn State Nittany Lions

Coach Bill O'Brien

The little that is known about him has not endeared anyone to him – not players (both current and former), not the alumni, and not the fans.  Some of the former stars, such as former linebacker LaVar Arrington, are livid, vowing to disassociate themselves with the university.  The rancor, supposedly, is that O’Brien is not “family.”  True, he has no ties whatsoever to the university.  Possibly, he may never have stepped on Pennsylvania soil before last month when he was interviewed by David Joyner, the university’s acting athletic director.

 Actually, O’Brien being an outsider is not necessarily bad. The new coach should be as disassociated from the pedophilia scandal as possible.     

That O’Brien is not family is not the real reason Penn State football followers are so upset. Just imagine how happy they would be if, perchance, Tim Teebow had been interviewed for the job, accepted, and resigned as QB of the Broncos.  Just imagine how much more pleased they would be if he accepted with the proviso that Tom Bradley would be Joyner’s replacement.  In effect, Teebow and Bradley would be working in tandem to gild Penn State’s tarnished image.  Imagine the effect on the players, imagine the effect on the fans, imagine the effect on recruits!

Not to digress too far, Teebow was likely not even considered, ‘though, if he had been, do you think he would shun an opportunity to do so much good, good for the university, good for the game, good for goodness sake?  A better choice than Teebow could not be found on planet earth.

 In any regard, Is O’Brien the next best choice?  What do football fans at large know about him?  We know only that he has quite a temper, which was revealed to the world in his violent altercation with Patriots QB Tom Brady.  O’Brien, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, had to be physically restrained from attacking the multi-million dollar quarterback on the sidelines during a recent game.

 To beard a lion, so to speak, without trepidation says an awful lot about his certainty in his football savvy.  It says nothing, however, about his ability to manage a team.  In fact, his spurt of anger does not redound to his honor.  In the view of fans, players, and, most significantly, recruits, his intemperate behavior does not augur well.

Penn State football does not need a coach who leads by intimidation.  Such violent temperament best suits an Army or Marine drill sergeant who deals with Government Issues who are not supposed to think, but to shut up and do as they are told.  Football is a game that should develop sterling character, not the character of automatons, who know not how to think, who know only to win, to win at all cost.

The quest of the six-man search team, headed by David Joyner, should have been, above all other considerations, for a coach with exemplary character, and, secondly, for a coach with an outstanding record.  What we got instead is an unknown except for his ill temperament and a career record worthy of derision.

The search team responsible for selecting him has quite a peculiar composition.

Joyner, a MD with a lucrative sports medicine business, is the only member with football experience.  There were two women: Linda Caldwell, a faculty athletics representative; and Charmelle Green, who left Notre Dame just this past July to become an associate athletic director.  Russ Rose is a volleyball coach. Ira Lubert is a businessman.  John Nichols is a professor of communications.  

What a sextet! Maybe they could pick the next cheer-leading coach too!

Six football fans picked from Penn State or elsewhere would no doubt have done a better job.  Joyner and his imprimatur-bearers deserve nothing but contempt.

Honor has departed Happy Valley with revelation of the multi-year, criminal, immoral escapades connected with The Second Mile foundation and with the lack of oversight thereof by the university.

Administrative vigilance would have nipped pedophilia in the bud in 1997 when Jerry Sandusky founded the foundation.  Administrative vigilance would have prevented pedophilia to persist for the first five years of the foundation’s existence.  Administrative vigilance would have discovered the reason Jerry Sandusky “quit” coaching in 2002.  Administrative vigilance would have barred pedophilia persisting another ten years.  Obviously, there is more to this scandal than a want of administrative vigilance.  Obviously, the administrators, as well as many others in high places, are complicit in the crimes.

As we know well, recently several administrators have been held accountable ─ their hands slapped and summarily discharged.  Evidently, there are countless complicit individuals, many of which still carry on their affairs unfazed, smugly believing they will continue their crimes of pederasty on end.

If Coach Paterno was blind to the pedophilia carried on under his nose and around the state, Coach O’Brien ─ if in fact he does become the PS next football coach, he cannot ignore it.  It has not gone away, and it will not go away any time soon.  He must play a critical role to rid it from campus and rid it from the state altogether.   

Penn State has a tradition that goes beyond stellar performances in football.  It stands for excellence in all athletics and numerous academics in the arts and sciences.  Near the geographic center of the state, indeed it is the heart of the state.  From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Pennsylvanians hold Penn State dear.  No institution is, or rather has been, held in higher regard within the state, and only a few institutions throughout the country are regarded as its equal.

What is it about the character of Bill O’Brien that has impressed the search team so much? Who knows!  Maybe it is his machismo; he certainly is not a bit effeminate!  Maybe they think this quality will divert attention from the ongoing scandal.  Maybe they think he will kowtow to the administration’s every demand and concern himself solely with disciplined football.  

Not to malign O’Brien, he may very well have countless virtues that ingratiate himself to His Maker, but his one demonstrative failing makes him unsuitable as a head coach, especially at Penn State, especially at this time.  However, perhaps he might be able to rein in his temper!  People have done it before!

At any rate, O’Brien has never been a head coach.  In 2005 and 2006, his last years in the college ranks, he was the quarterback coach/offensive coordinator for Duke’s football team, which went 1-23 for those two years, averaging less than 16 points per game.  That’s not too impressive!

O’Brien’s recent record looks much better.  He has been an integral part of the Patriots’ success.  Nonetheless, there is nothing in his past that demonstrates ability to lead a team on his own.

Yet Joyner and his team chose him above all others.  He made his poor choice despite the remaining weeks of January being critical to signing would-be recruits.  Instead of tending to this very important chore, O’Brien must focus his attention on helping the Patriots during playoffs.  Maybe Joyner plans to assume this duty himself.  He does have an amicable personality.  Maybe he’ll ask Tom Bradley to help him.  Of course, Bradley would be thrilled at the opportunity!

David Joyner knew all along that his choice of O’Brien would be extremely unpopular at State College and that it might even cause outraged fans to demonstrate.  So, as a precaution when Bill O’Brien, along with his wife and their 6-year old younger son, flew into University Station yesterday, on Penn State’s private jet, there was a heavy police presence.  At the airport and on the streets of State College there were police everywhere: campus police, city police, county police, and state police.

Why would David Joyner deliberately make such an unpopular choice?

In an interview with the press, Brandon Short, another angry former PS linebacker, said that when any member of the PS Football Letterman’s Club attempted to discuss the hiring process with Joyner, he was rebuffed by an “arrogant, nonchalant and egotistical attitude.” Short continued, “It shows he wasn’t concerned about getting our point of view,” and that “Dave Joyner is not qualified to be athletic director.”

Agreed, David Joyner should be discharged post haste, along with the two women, the two businessmen, the volleyball coach, and the professor.  The Letterman Club should take over.  Legal proceedings may be necessary to make it happen.  Winning in court may very well prove successful because Joyner’s ties to The Second Mile Foundation, as well as the administration’s ties to it, make a mockery of the selection process.

As for O’Brien as coach, the Letterman club should interview him. If they believe he has what it takes to turn Penn State around, well and good!  If not, they must repudiate the contract and commence a new search of their own undertaking.A closer look at David Joyner: he has shown total disregard for the well wishes of the fans, the players, and Penn State University itself, which is his very own alma mater.  He is a former Penn State football player, a Hall-of-Farmer to boot, and a wrestler too.  His two sons, Andy and Matt, they too played football for Penn State.

His credentials certainly do not make him beyond reproach.  Brutus was thought to be beyond reproach, but what did he do to Julius Caesar?  He stabbed him in the back.  Is this not a suitable metaphor?  No, some might say, and that Joyner had good intentions, despite his bad judgment.

Well, what would those Joyner apologists say if they knew that the search team’s chief headhunter was on the Board of Trustees of Penn State on 2002, when the Sandusky’s scandal first surfaced, and that this same august body concurrently approved the university’s land grant to Sandusky’s The Second Mile Foundation?  Indeed he was!

What would they say if you knew that Rodney Erickson ─ the interim president of Penn State, Joyner’s boss ─ has been a long-time supporter of The Second Mile Foundation?  He has been!  So has Joe Amendola, Jerry Sandusky’s attorney.  (See the pictures below.)

The selection of a suitable replacement for Joe Paterno is of utmost importance owing to the raging pedophilia scandal.

Should Louie Freeh by himself be expected to rid Happy Valley of pedophilia?  Maybe he could do the job if the crime was confined to Happy Valley only.  It is not.

The specter of pedophilia has pervaded the entire state.  At least two hundred fifty schools have participated in The Second Mile Foundation’s Leadership program.  Stopping this evil foundation will require an all-out effort, neighborhood-by neighborhood, community-by-community, school-by-school, club-by-club, and team-by-team ─ all up in arms!

No one is better positioned to champion this effort than is the head coach of Penn State’s football team.

Let’s hope and pray that the Lettermen will be successful in holding the selection in abeyance; and that when they do interview O’Brien they will discover that he does have what it takes to turn Penn State Football around; finally, that they will gain the power and authority to override any policy of Joyner’s or his successors’.

With the Lettermen’s support of O’Brien, Penn State Football will return to glory, and every aspect of the game should improve accordingly, benefiting both players and fans.  

If O’Brien can curb his temper and act more like an inspirational General rather than a fearsome non-com Drill Sergeant, there should be brighter days ahead for Penn State and football fans everywhere.

The photos below: top, Joe Amendola-Jerry Sandusky' attorney; right, PSU Pres. 
Rodney Erickson; left, The Second Mile Foundation with Erickson, Amendola, 
Mark Schwarz, and other PS notables.

__________

• Why did it take so long for the Big East to add schools to their conference and play football?  One simple answer is the lack of leadership.  Not that it matters, as the additions of SMU, San Diego State and Navy do nothing.  Yes having Boise State is good, but they are in Idaho.  Is that east?  Houston won’t be very good next year and Central Florida has to compete against the college heavyweights of that state 1st before playing on the field.  Stick a fork in the Big East keeping their AQ status after 2013. 
• Why are so many people making a big deal about Tiger Woods winning a golf tournament?  It had all of 18 players in it.  This win is a joke and so are the media people screaming about Tiger being back.
• How squeamish do you think new Penn State Interim President Rodney Erickson was on Wednesday as he watched Jerry Sandusky being hauled off to jail yet again on new child molestation charges wearing Nittany Lions gear.  Hasn’t Sandusky done enough to the University?  Can’t he throw on a Rocca Wear sweater or Tommy pullover? 
• If the LSU-Alabama rematch is anything like the game played in early November, put me to bed now.  I don’t care how good each team is, Alabama does not deserve to play LSU again.  Oklahoma State was more deserving and once again the fans get robbed of seeing somebody new  playing for the BCS (Bogus, Chump, Sleazy) title. 
• Rumors of Pitt football coach Todd Graham jumping ship to Kansas are laughable.  Not that things are a bed of roses right now in Oakland, but anything has to be better than coaching football on the plains of Kansas.  Have you been to Kansas people?  Not much there besides corn and flat land. 
• Sidney Crosby has been asked to take two games off for precautionary reasons due to a hard hit he suffered recently.  Get used to these little ‘breaks’ as they will be routine for at least the rest of this season. 
• I for one am happy the Pirates signed Nate McLouth.  I only hope he takes the #13 again.  I would finally be able to use one of my old, ex-Pirates who were traded jerseys without feeling much shame again. 
• Tino Sunseri will not be wearing a Pitt football uniform in 2012.  How can he?  His coach hates him and mocks his play publicly.  The so-called fans shower him with taunts and jeers from the stands.  I for one don’t like the notion of booing a college player.  They are not professional athletes, getting paid to do this for a living.  Give Tino a break people, he’s a young man in college who happens to play football.  Despite his struggles, Sunseri has held himself up during a trying time.  This will only make him stronger and successful in the game of life. 
• Green Bay will go 19-0 and wipe the 1972 Miami Dolphins from our memory as the only undefeated team in NFL history.  They will do so by beating the Steelers in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl.  Yes, you heard me, the Steelers will win the AFC.
• Tim Tebow can keep doing what he does and that’s win.  It amuses me to see people hate on him so much.  What does this say about our society?   I thought we were supposed to root for the underdog?  How sick have we become, rooting for others to fail and taking joy in it?
• For once, the people who run the NHL did something right with the new realignment proposal. 
• Good for West Virginia to make it to yet another BCS game.  Don’t be shocked when they beat Clemson. 
• I for one can’t wait to wager chocolate chip cookies on the UCLA-Illinois game featuring one team under .500, another at .500 and both whose sub-par play cost their head football coaches their jobs. 
• How awful is Temple that they were passed by yet again for membership to the Big East?  They can’t be any worse than Rutgers right?
• I understand Tiger Woods has entered a regional put-put qualifier in Hoboken, NJ this weekend.  If he wins, I’m sure the media and fans will rush to anoint him as being back to that old Tiger form.  Excuse me while my insides churn with laughter, as Woods is nothing more than a pedestrian golfer who will never come close to doing what he was once capable of.  Sorry Tiger fans, he’s not back and last week’s gift win means zip as far as I’m concerned. 

John Phillips is the author of this article and a secret member of the Galactic Empire.   When he’s not chasing down Jedi across Kennywood Park, he can be heard hosting talk-shows and anchoring sports updates on 93.7 The Fan.  Follow JP on Twitter at www.twitter.com/937Phillips 

The board’s executive committee came together via a conference call this morning.

Members unanimously reaffirmed the firing of football coach Joe Paterno, the resignation of Graham Spanier as president and the appointment of Rodney Erickson as his successor.

The board scheduled the meeting after criticism that the trustees violated the state open-meetings law by taking its initial votes behind closed doors last month.

RELATED LINKS/STORIES:
NEWS: Continuing Coverage Of The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal
PHOTO GALLERY: Chaos On Campus After PSU Fires JoePa
LINK: Penn State Nittany Lions

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBS) – A letter sent by Penn State’s president to tens of thousands of new and prospective students at the university acknowledges the turmoil raised by the alleged child sex abuse scandal but calls on them to show the high moral character that Penn State would rather be known for.

Penn State spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz says the letter from PSU president Rodney Erickson, portions of which were printed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, talks about the reslience of the Penn State community and acknowledges the strength and compassion demonstrated by current students in the wake of the Sandusky scandal.

“We know there has been an enormous amount of media coverage on the issue with some strong opinions and conflicting information,” she told KYW Newsradio today.  “We wanted to provide our students and prospective students and their families with facts. We are still an outstanding university that offers a quality education,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mountz says, Penn State students have been hard at work raising money for victims.

Scott Tattar, a crisis public relations expert at LevLane in Philadelphia, thinks the letter was a good idea.

“The fact that they are comunicating from the president to the students is a sign that things are moving in the right direction for Penn State — that’s a positive,” he says.

Tattar adds that the only thing Penn State officials can reasonably do is be upfront, transparent, and honest.

[listicle id=55129 show_title=true]

YMCAs take child protection very seriously.  Their extensive policies and attention to safety regarding every program and service make them a leader in “state of the art” child protection policy.  They also know that this alone does not keep children safe in their communities.  They instead recognize the need for leadership at every level to be involved and engaged in protecting children from sexual abuse.  With the health and well being of children and families at the heart of their mission and a long history of tackling tough community issues, Y’s across the country are stepping up to convene leaders and engage the entire community in prevention.

Teaming up to support these local Y efforts, D2L and The Redwoods Group Foundation are providing tools, resources and funding assistance to help YMCAs operationalize wide spread community awareness and education.  Our vision is that Ys, serving as the natural conveners, bring together community leaders, other local child-serving organizations, and policy makers as partners in prevention.  This exciting collaboration is empowering communities with a strategy and a model for creating and sustaining positive change in the protection of children from child sexual abuse.

YMCA Background

In early 2009, The Redwoods Group, a commercial specialty insurance group based in NC and one of the largest insurers for YMCAs, contacted Darkness to Light to explore synergies between the two organizations.  Redwoods felt that they could provide benefit to their clients by adding Stewards of Children prevention curriculum to their training offerings, believing that the empowering and emotional elements of the program would augment the policy and procedure training components that were also necessary.

Kevin Trapani, founder and CEO of Redwoods, had a bigger vision.  The Redwoods Group is a privately‐held, Certified B Corps that takes their responsibility for the safety of children at Y’s across the country very seriously.  Not only that, social responsibility is at the core of everything Redwoods believes so it wasn’t enough to just address child safety within the 4 walls of a Y.

A collaboration begins…In 2010, the social enterprise’s Foundation made a commitment to facilitate community‐based child sexual abuse prevention through YMCA’s.  Over the past three years, the Redwoods Group Foundation has dedicated significant time, energy, and financial capitol to protect children from the trauma of sexual abuse. Collaborating with Darkness to Light, a Stewards of Children “seed fund” was created to assist YMCAs in starting community initiatives.  The Foundation has two staff members working to bring YMCAs together to propel the effort to scale.  Their goal is to help YMCA’s engage community partners in child sexual abuse prevention and intervention.  Ultimately, they hope the effort will be expanded to all YMCAs.

Via d2l

Anny is a Steward’s of Children Authorized Facilitator and Prevention Specialist who trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through Darkness to Light’s certification programs.  Please contact Anny to bring Prevent Now! community meetings your area and to arrange Steward’s of Children trainings.  You may contact her via email, anny@annyjacoby.com or 919-225-1421.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

• We’ve learned that this issue is not about big universities, celebrity, or the Catholic Church.  It’s not about reputations, or legacies or any one institution.  This issue is about children.
• We’ve learned that we have to step into the reality that there are people in our midst that would rob children of their innocence and they are people we know and trust.  They will go out of their way to appear above reproach and they will infiltrate our families and organizations where they can have easy access to children.
• We’ve learned that it takes tremendous courage for children and adults that have been abused to come forward.  We must support and honor this courage and work together to ensure their story is not handed down to other innocent children.
• We’ve learned that child safety is the job of an adult.  Teaching children how to keep themselves safe from abuse is important, but adults bear the burden of stepping up and speaking out when something doesn’t look or feel right with respect to the wellbeing of a child.  We’ve learned that it may or may not be our legal responsibility as mandated reporters depending on where we live but morally it is the right thing to do.  If you see something or suspect abuse, call the police.
• We’ve learned that the ramifications of not acting responsibly are clear.  More abuse occurs, more children are harmed, fewer children get the help they so deserve.  To be silent bystanders is to be complicit in its occurrance and wake. To intervene is to ensure that a child is treated and supported, that they are healed and better protected from potential lifelong hardships of trauma.
• We’ve learned that child sexual abuse is preventable.  We can learn the facts, we can acknowledge the reality, we can talk to others adults, we can ensure youth serving organizations have comprehensive child protection policy, and we can talk to our children.  Awareness and education is the answer.
• The fight against child abuse cannot be the job of one agency; it has to be a collaborative effort.  It will take all of us to change culture–to one where engaged adults offer no place for a perpetrator to commit their heinous acts and no access to children.
• We can be stuck in the shock and horror of what happened at Penn State staying focused on who knew what and when or we can pledge right now to stay focused on the things we can do today that better protect children.  Let Penn State serve as a wake-up call.  Will we stay vigilant or will we again become complacent when the smoke clears?

Ways to Get Involved

• Learn the 7 Steps to Protecting Our Children
• Find out more about Stewards of Children, a training for adults on how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
• Take Stewards of Children onlinenow.
• Join the Movement to end child sexual abuse

Via d2l.org

Anny is a Steward’s of Children Authorized Facilitator and Prevention Specialist who trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through Darkness to Light’s certification programs.  Please contact Anny to bring Prevent Now! community meetings your area and to arrange Steward’s of Children trainings.  You may contact her via email, anny@annyjacoby.com or 919-225-1421.

Take care and stay safe.

The Darkness to Light’s child sexual abuse program(s) are trainings across the United States.

Have you taken a stance again CSA?  If not, why not?  Call or email me to plan Darkness to Light’s Child Sexual Abuse Community Meetings, Prevent Now! (45 mins) and/or “Stewards of Children”, two-and-a-half training sessions for adults.  Darkness to Lights program seeks “to empower adults through awarness and educational programs to PREVENT, RECOGNIZE AND REACT RESPONSIBLY to childhood sexual abuse. 

“The only public good thing that came out of the horrible Penn State situation is it’s brough major attention to Child Sexual Abuse.”  Take a stance, NOW!

Take care and STAY SAFE!

As adults, victims suffer nightmares, anger, anxiety from childhood abuse.

By Kari Huus, Reporter msnbc.com

As the Penn State sex abuse scandal unfolds — ghastly detail by detail — on front pages, the airwaves and Twitter accounts, the news can be especially devastating for one group in particular: former victims of sexual abuse.

“Another night of triggers and flashbacks,” writes a forum member on MaleSurvivor.org, a website devoted to healing male victims of sexual abuse. “… I felt him all over me and my arms are scratched as I try to get the feeling of his hands off me. … I think all the (Penn State) news set the triggers off, and now I am like a zombie, trying to recover and move forward today.”

“I never met Jerry Sandusky, but feel I know him all too well,” writes another member of the forum, referring to the university’s former defensive coordinator who stands accused of sexually molesting at least eight young boys. “I dealt with my own ‘Jerry’ when I was 12 or 13. … Now that he is sated and I am long forgotten, I’m still picking up the pieces.”

“This whole thing is devastating me. These boys are lost in the details … just as most of us here were,” the member added.

Psychologists say that any sex abuse victim — man or woman — may find that news of the Penn State case sparks painful memories. But the way this case is unfolding strikes an especially deep chord with men.

“It can be very triggering of either their own memories — they may get flashbacks — or they may get angry again,” said Richard Gartner, a psychologist and psychoanalyst in New York, and spokesman for Malesurvivor.org. Some men may have to limit their news consumption, and maybe avoid watching football to avoid a panic attack or bout of depression, he said.

“It is re-traumatizing for them — more so to the extent that they believe that this is being handled wrong … and ignoring the needs of the victims.”

Different experience for boys
Sexual abuse has a different impact on boys than on girls, and they deal with it differently because of socialization, experts say.

“Men aren’t supposed to be victims. Men are supposed to be strong,” said Jim Hopper, clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. “A man says I’m not a real man, because I let someone do this to me. I should have been tougher. Even after years of therapy they say this.”

Girls who are abused by men are psychologically damaged, to be sure, experts say, but boys abused by men often come to question their sexual identity and orientation.

“If they were sexually abused by a man, there’s this whole stigma — does that mean I’m gay, or did he do it to me because I look gay?” says Hopper.

Another difference: Boys who forced into sexual acts may have an erection — a physiological response which makes them all the more confused and ashamed of the encounter, Gartner says.

The women’s movement helped bring sexual assault of females into the public eye — and led to tougher penalties against attackers, more policy aimed at prevention and better access to care for victims. The focus on sexual abuse of boys came nearly 20 years later, when hundreds of childhood victims went public with stories of abuse by Catholic priests, according to Gartner.

Shame, silence, secrecy
Still, the shame and stigma makes it less common for boys to report abuse and seek help than girls, studies show.

“Men tend to come into treatment much later in life,” said Gartner. “Usually they are in their 30s, 40s or 50s — occasionally in their 70s — never having spoken about this.”

Their reluctance to talk about abuse is partly to blame for the perception that sexual abuse of boys is rare, Gartner said.

Research shows that about one in six boys are sexually abused before they are 16 years old, according to Hopper, a founding board member of the nonprofit organization OneInSix, which aims to help men deal with abuse they experienced as children.

The number for girls is one in four. The statistics do not include verbal harassment or other forms of non-physical sexual abuse, such as forcing a child to watch a sexual act.

Reports of sexual abuse by boys are still more likely to be dismissed, researchers say, which can intensify the victim’s pain and difficulty later in life.

“Boys who are sexually abused are mostly disbelieved, or it is minimized,” said Gartner. “They’re told, ‘just get over it’.”

“They learn that nobody’s safe,” said Hopper. “That’s really devastating. … that people who were supposed to protect me are not going to help me, they are blaming me!”

That perception by a child can lead to a wide array of problems as they grow older, including depression, anxiety, emotional numbing, substance abuse, and difficulty forming healthy relationships.

PTSD in high gear
Robert Brown, 51, who is now open about his story, was repeatedly sexually assaulted over the course of seven years when he was a child. He says the perpetrators were older boys who were favored because they were top athletes in his small New Hampshire town, while his plight was ignored by adults.

Brown did not acknowledge the problem to anyone until four years ago, when he was blindsided by a severe bout of post-traumatic stress.

Now he is a child protection activist, and shares his story on the MaleSurvivor.org forum, many of whom keep their abuse secret.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

By now we all have heard about Penn State. All you need to do is turn on the television and whether you are watching the news or sports they are talking about it.

Jerry Sandusky doesn’t have many free days left before he is locked away for the rest of his life. He is a perfect example of why we need Erin’s Law in every state. Adults in charge witnessed children being molested by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and while they reported it they did not take it to the police which they should have reported immediately when they saw it happen. No ifs, ands, buts, about it. They witnessed a horrific act take place or were told about these horrific acts being done to children and they turned a blind eye.

The Board of Trustees did exactly what needed to be done and that was firing the President of the University and head coach Joe Paterno. Joe started off doing the right thing by taking it to the President but when the President did not go to police with the matter this is when it was Joe Paterno’s moral duty to report it to police. Instead more children’s innocence would be stolen all in the sake of protecting the Universities reputation. A school’s image is more important in the mind of a University President then innocent children who fell into the hands of a very dangerous sick individual who used his authority to groom and rape children. Reports have said Sandusky gave the children he abused many gifts. Often sexual predators use gifts as a way to silence children on top of threats. Several adults over a fifteen year time period were aware of Jerry Sandusky’s actions yet Jerry continued to be around children and abusing several more.

If these children had learned in school the same way they are educated on tornado drills, bus drills, fire drills, DARE, Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, Bully Intervention, etc. on safe touch, unsafe touch, safe secrets, unsafe secrets, how to get away and tell today then these children would have had the courage to speak up and keep telling an adult until someone put an end to their horror. Instead they were never educated because we fail to educate kids on sexual abuse which is why I went after Erin’s law. The law that would have empowered these children with the power to use their voice and tell someone. So many more children could have been saved from the hands of Jerry Sandusky had they been educated. Parents would have been educated through Erin’s law on what to talk about with their kids and the warning signs to look for in a child that has been abused. One parent whose child was abused spoke openly without her identity being revealed and she shared how her son’s behavior changed, he began acting out, showed lots of anger, and did not want to be around Sandusky. She went to the school guidance counselor about it and the guidance counselor brushed it off saying it is a phase he is going through. Had this mother been educated on the biggest silent epidemic in this world, that being sexual abuse of children, then she would have known to talk to her son and her son would have known to talk and not keep these secrets.

I would advise any parent never to let your kids stay the night with their coach. Invites to overnights by a coach, youth group leader, etc. is a red flag right there. That should be a strict boundary in every household. I don’t care how well you think you know the person. Is the risk really worth it knowing your child could fall hands to a predator you never imagined would do such a thing. It is time for the world to take off their blinders and wake up. What has happened at Penn State as I have been saying for years is happening in our own backyards. Just take a look in your own community. These sex offenders  live in your communities and you don’t even know it because many have not been caught. Not until we educate children through Erin’s Law in schools will more children break their silence. My law will prevent what happened at Penn State from ever happening again because children won’t spend years in silence because they will be educated to know this is wrong and not to keep it a secret. Children will be turning these sexual predators in the first time it happens because they will be getting the other end of the message. The first message is to stay silent, this is our secret, don’t tell anyone, I will hurt you, your family, no one will believe you, etc. The message that is missing throughout society is the educational piece. Don’t keep this a secret, tell someone, we will believe you, keep telling until someone takes action, who are safe people in your life you can tell if this happened to you, etc.” Sexual predators don’t just take children’s innocence they take their voice when they are being abused. We have to empower children to use their voice and not fall into the trap of silence.

Penn State needs to use what happened in their community and take action against this silent epidemic. They now have the reputation that won’t be going away. This scandal will be one talked about decades from now so they now have the power to make change happen in society. Addressing the silence around sexual abuse and demanding change. Being a voice for the 39 million survivors that exist in America alone. Urging their lawmakers and Governor to pass Erin’s Law in their state.

I turned the painful events of sexual abuse and rape in my childhood into putting a face and voice on this silent epidemic in my two books Stolen Innocence and Living For Today, passing Erin’s Law in Illinois and Missouri and eventually will get it passed in all 50 states, and flying the country speaking before thousands of people the past 7 1/2 years to shatter the silence, stigma, and shame around sexual abuse. The same way I turned the tragic events in my life into triumph the same is possible for the reputation of Penn State. They can do something positive about this unlike the riots that broke out this week. They can raise awareness and become a campus that is a face and voice on child sexual abuse for educational institutes around this country and world.

With an estimated 39 million survivors of sexual abuse in America 3 million of those are children right now living in our country. That 3 million could fill 46 national football stadiums. Imagine that for a moment 46 national football stadiums of children that have been sexually abused. Joe Paterno was Penn State head football coach for 46 years.  For every year he was head coach the entire football stadium could be the 3 million children in America who were sexually abused. These children are real and the life long challenges they face because of sexual abuse can be life altering. Shame and pain that you could never imagine if you have never been abused. These children often grow up to be adults many carrying their silence into adulthood because the shame is too great. Because of the silence around sexual abuse they often feel so alone in this world. Alone in a world where a past comes back to haunt them in nightmares and flashbacks. Pulling them right back into reliving the trauma they suffered. Many survivors of sexual abuse as children will spend years in therapy trying to come to terms with what happened and learn how to go on living a life and not be defined by this.

I was interviewed by a Penn State writer for the college paper today for a story that will run in the next day or two. As I tried to explain to her that I wanted her to get across to her study body is the fact that this isn’t about college football. We are talking about innocent children who were raped at the hands of a very sick individual who preyed on them while they were doing something they loved, playing football. I would not be surprised if several of these children turned away from ever playing football again after what happened because of the painful reminder it brings back. I spoke back in April at a child abuse conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania not very far at all from Penn State. I had just come from speaking the day before at a New Jersey child abuse conference and drove two hours into Pennsylvania in my rental car. I was driving into a town that was known for being chocolate capital of the country. The light posts in the downtown were Hershey kisses, they have chocolate businesses every where and the biggest attraction is chocolate world where children go for school field trips and parents take kids. If you like chocolate you were in the right town and you would think it would be hard to pass through this town without stopping for chocolate. Well as I explained in my speech I don’t eat chocolate. I actually hate it. I won’t eat chocolate cake, brownies, frosting, ice cream, etc. How is it possible to hate chocolate? Well if you have read my books I explain clearly in them why I don’t eat chocolate you see I use to love chocolate as a kid. It took one night celebrating my grandfather’s birthday with all my other relatives in 1998 for me to find myself locked in a dark bedroom with a cousin on top of me, molesting me, begging him to let me go, hearing the sounds of happy birthday being sung downstairs to my grandfather, and eventually being told by my cousin to go get cake with him. I sat at a table in the kitchen in silence with a chocolate piece on cake and my cousin taking a seat right across from me with his piece of cake and just smiling at me with that grin I will never be able to erase from my mind. I felt my stomach turn and with the rich taste of chocolate in my mouth  and I just wanted to throw up. He often gave me something called a Star Crunch after abusing me at his house. Star Crunch was chocolate coated with caramel and rice crispy. Anytime I put any form of chocolate in my mouth it became triggering and the rich taste of it would immediately bring me back to memories of abuse. I have tested myself and have learned the only way chocolate doesn’t do that to me is chocolate with peanut butter in it. Here is one example how someone even like myself that is so outspoken on sexual abuse can also continue to be affected by actions of someone who abused me.

Penn State is a national tragedy and many lives have been hurt. It is time to raise up and tackle this issue that needs to be addressed in every state, educated in every school, every home, and survivors need to know they have nothing to be ashamed of. I have no doubt that more boys will come forward and that number of 8 will get higher. If you know someone or are someone that has been abused and never told anyone or did tell someone and nothing was done then tell someone today. You have nothing to be ashamed of and you could be helping others come forward and find their voice. You find a new sense of peace finding your voice.

God Bless the survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Jerry Sandusky. Justice will come I promise!

PENN STATE be an example for others, start to educate, raise awareness, go after Erin’s Law. The country is watching. Make us proud.

About Erin Merryn

Erin Merryn is the author of Stolen Innocence and Living for Today,  memoirs about incest and rape.  She graduated in May 2009 with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Aurora University. A leading participant in Take Back the Night, her goal is to raise awareness of abuse in order to end the stigma and silence. Since 2004 she has been traveling across America giving inspirational and motivational speeches at national conferences, community events, Children’s Advocacy Centers, colleges, and high schools. She has appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America and Montel Williams.  Her writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Daily Herald, and Teen Voices, among others. Erin spends her time between the suburbs of Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Visit Erin at www.erinmerryn.net.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

The decision was made by Erickson. McQueary was notified this afternoon.

“It became clear coach McQueary couldn’t function in this role under these circumstances,” Erickson said.

The university made the announcement late Thursday that McQueary would not be coaching or attending Saturday’s game against Nebraska at Beaver Stadium.

[worldnow id=6445908 width=385 height=255 type=video]

McQueary is the latest employee to be affected by the fallout from the child sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

On Wednesday, the university’s board of trustees fired longtime head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier.

Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Shultz, a top administrator, stepped down amid perjury charges.

RELATED STORIES/LINKS:
PHOTO GALLERY: Chaos On Campus After PSU Fires JoePa
VIDEO: Interim Coach Tom Bradley (11/10)
VIDEO: Joe Paterno Speaks After Firing (11/9)
VIDEO: Board of Trustees News Conference (11/9)
VIDEO: Watch The Attorney General’s News Conference (11/7)
STORY: PSU’s Tom Bradley: “It’s An Unprecedented Situation That We Find Ourselves In”

WARNING Contains Graphic Material: Read The Entire Grand Jury Presentment
AG, PSP Commissioner Statements: Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
LINK: Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office
LINK: Penn State Nittany Lions

To The Students Of Penn State: 

I am sorry that your school is going through such a difficult situation, one that must be painful to you and the alumnus.

Please consider that sometimes in our lives it is not what happens that is most important, but, ultimately, how we handle it. Right now each of you, as individuals have a choice to make. It is about right and wrong. There really can be no riding the fence in a situation like this. You are at a crossroads and the decisions you make about your own behavior and your ‘talk’ will ride with you the rest of your lives.

If I am not mistaken, Joe Paterno, knew about the abuse of these at risk youth and he went to Penn State’s Athletic Director. When the AD did not act appropriately, Paterno had an opportunity to exhibit that integrity, that he is so famous for talking about. In other words, he had the opportunity to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Many of you will have children in your future, children that you will love with such depth that you feel your heart will burst. Do you want their teachers, coaches, minister and leaders to just talk the talk or will you want them to walk the walk?

Be clear, the institution, which you invested in HAS let you down. When President Spainer turned his head and participated in covering up the truth, he devalued your investment. He was put in a leadership position and he did NOT lead. He has embarrassed and humiliated the entire institution, your institution.

ANY person that had knowledge and did not go to every level to put a stop to this, is part of it. What repercussions would you want if this were your child that had been victimized?

From what I just heard from Rodney Erickson, Penn State still does not have the strong leadership it needs. Maybe, just maybe, it will be up to you, the students, to be the leaders. The adults are, obviously, doing a lousy job.

Knowing that your actions and speech, will follow you the rest of your life, which side of the fence are you going to stand on? I believe in you, the future leaders of our country. I hope you make the right choice.

My Best Wishes For Your Future, The Dumplin