Every time something like this happens, we are again shocked and horrified. I'm just grateful it doesn't happen more often; I keep hoping we are more evolved as humans, but each time it happens, I am disappointed. We do NOT evolve, and Lord Acton's words: "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." come back as a reminder Every. Single. Time.
In any other situation where a child was being hurt, I have to believe the graduate assistant would have acted differently. But in this instance, when a child was being raped in a shower in the athletic facility, the aura of the power of Joe Paterno and his football program clouded this assistant's judgement--clouded it so much that he actually went HOME and called his dad to ask what he should do. He did not call 911, he did not pick up the nearest hard object and beat the shit out of the perpetrator, and for goodness sakes he did not even yell, "Stop!" No, he turned away, left the building, and went home. Dumbly. My guess is even now he will not be able to explain his thoughts that night. For the Absolute Power of Joe Paterno and Penn State Football casts a powerful spell.
But remember, it's not the first time Joe Paterno has failed a victim. Paterno hired Rene Portland as women's basketball coach in 1980; they were close friends, and under the Absolute Power of Joe Paterno, Portland was allowed, time after time, to bully her players and ruin their careers. No, she did not lay a hand on them, but the damage was brutal and life-altering (I recommend the documentary "Training Rules" for enlightenment). Portland was openly homophobic, but was allowed to stay, year after year, because of her close relationship with Paterno. Even when she was sued by Jen Harris, a former player, for discrimination based on sexual orientation and race (as a side note, Harris is not gay, but Portland thought she was), Portland was allowed to stay at Penn State--until 2007.
But it's not just Joe Paterno. It happens in many universities, in many athletic programs, all over the world. As a student at Iowa State in the late 1970's, I heard numerous rumors about the abuse of women at the hands of football players and wrestlers. NOTHING was done to aid the victims. No investigation, no charges. Those with the power acted with impunity.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Throughout history, it's happened over and over and over again. From dictators down to those who are allowed to have just a little too much power...that power corrupts. Absolutely. Sexual harassment, bullying, wars, famine, super rich vs everyone else; I could go on and on with a depressing list.
Take Bill Clinton; charismatic leader. He did some great things for this country; he continues to do good things--using his power for the good of humanity. But he allowed power to ensnare him, and it ended up corrupting him. We saw the powerfully good man, but we also saw the warning signs--women coming forward to tell their stories of encounters with Bill Clinton. We were warned, and because he could use his power for good, we allowed ourselves to be captivated by the man. Is it any wonder two of the Clinton legacies were "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act? We were warned, and we should have seen them coming a mile away; "Don't ask, don't tell" could have been his motto.
Clarence Thomas should not be a Supreme Court Justice. We heard the warnings from Anita Hill (and others), and yet we allowed this man to shame us ("high tech lynching") into allowing him on to the highest court in our nation. It's deja vu all over again with Herman Cain, and if we're not careful, we will be seduced into allowing him to be the Republican candidate for president.
Take the leadership in the Catholic Church...please. There it seems to have become a near ritual. Now, please know I am not criticizing the religion--I am just asking you to look at the leadership, what they allow to happen when they rule with absolute, corrupted power--women priests are evil?!!
It happens over and over and over again to us. The victims are not just children (although that's the saddest thing of all), but many groups of us. It's another long, depressing list.
We forget all the time how important ACTIONS are--if you want a good leader of any thing, look at the way they ACT, not what they say. Remember what your mom told you? "If you want to know the quality of a person, watch how they treat the wait staff." [Hold on, that was my mom--isn't she brilliant?] Look behind the facade of a person--pay attention to the person behind the words.
For power does corrupt, and we need leaders at all levels who will not be seduced, then corrupted by power. We need leaders, including football coaches and presidents, who will not cast a "numbing spell" on the rest of us. We need to be ever vigilant, ever suspicious. We need to be courageous, not numb. Every day, every time. THAT'S power. OUR power.
