Its Okay to Kick Someone When They're Standing

        I ask for your forgiveness before you start reading this. This is a blog post about Joe Pa. I know everywhere you look he is there, but I just can’t help it. The man is a legend and in all honesty he deserves that attention because he did great things.

            

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        Even though Joe Pa is at peace, there are many people down on earth who are still upset at the things that were done to him. In all honesty, I see where they are coming from, and it makes me mad too. When the scandal broke across the nation the media was ruthless. Not only to the actual wrong doers, but to others as well, of course I’m talking about Joe Pa. He was ripped, shattered and torn by the media to a point where people actual thought that he had committed these crimes. I’m not going to get into whether he made mistakes are not, there is a lot of gray area surrounding that. What is clear though is that the media’s attack on him was disproportionate to his actions. To say the media killed Joe Pa is not a huge exaggeration in my books. In addition the board of trustee’s choose to dismiss Paterno in the most cowardly and disrespectable way possible; a phone call telling him “his services were no longer needed”.

            Where the rhetoric gets interesting in this situation is when he, unfortunately passed away. When Joe Pa died he once again became the beloved father figure of millions in the eyes of the media. In an instant the attitude towards him changed. Why the sudden change? Well it has to do with that fact that our society frowns on rhetoric used to kick someone when they are already down. So while it is okay for the media to slander Joe Pa while he is alive, when he is on his deathbed it becomes immoral. Rhetoric, and the response to it, is very dependent on its context. While millions of papers sold during the scandal with Joe Pa’s fall from grace on the front page; I highly doubt that one would sell today if that same picture were on the front page. Context means a lot, and it’s not really fair. Quite frankly it makes me mad that one day you can slander someone and its acceptable, but if they are ill it suddenly becomes disrespectful. It was always disrespectful. I respect the Paterno family for asking the board of trustee’s not to attend the memorial service. And as millions say bye to a one of this century’s greatest men, I hope that the people who threw him under the bus feel bad about their words and actions. Though social norms may say it is okay to use rhetoric to tear someone apart, it really is not right in any situation. Mr. Paterno, you will live eternally in the gates of Penn State and in the hearts of all who proudly bleed blue and white. I am honored to have been a part of Penn State under the golden age of Joe Pa. Rest in Peace.