The Life of a Child

Front Yard Rose Series  © singeronthesand 2011

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart…

Psalm 24:3

There are times when the human race deeply disappoints, and this is one of those times at Penn State University.  The sexual abuse scandal that has erupted there leaves me with few answers and a whole lot of questions:

• A graduate assistant sees a naked ex-coach sexually abusing a naked child in the football locker room showers late at night and only tells the head football coach?  What about the campus police?  What about the administration?  What about calling 911?
• The head football coach is told of this incident, and simply relates it to his superior in the sports chain and lets it go at that.  What about the police?  What about the president of the university?  What about confronting the coach in question and removing his access to the facilities?
• The alleged perpetrator founded a charity to “help” troubled youth, and then used it as a pipeline for his sexual assaults.  How many boys would have been spared being raped if someone had done their job 10 years ago?
• USC football was punished by the NCAA because a player’s parents were set up in a condo, but the same organization has no power to punish Penn State for allegedly concealing crimes against young boys.  Excuse me? 

It was a welcome relief this morning to read that the head coach, an icon in college football, and the president of the university were fired, effective immediately.  The life of a single child is priceless.  To sacrifice that life on the altar of college athletics is unconscionable.  To allow a man to continue having a venue for abusing other children is unforgivable.