Why the Paterno statue had to go

Should the statue have been torn up? I’ll be honest, driving into State College a few days ago, I didn’t care. I was more interested in how my alma mater would change a perverse, distorted culture that valued football more than kids.

I expected the dozens of students to pose with the departing statue. I knew there were still disillusioned fans clinging to the fallen idol. But that’s not why I changed my mind. A father took his son, who looked no more than 10 years old. They were dressed in blue and white, colors of the Nittany Lions. As they posed for a picture, the boy positioned so Paterno’s right arm was around his, I wanted to look away. I wanted to ignore it.

I was suddenly back in the courtroom, when a guy my age testified that Sandusky anally raped him. Paterno didn’t do it. Sandusky did. But Paterno knew. And he should’ve protected that kid. The statue needed to come down.