I'm not going into the details of why these cases are similar, or where they differ. But I do want to ask those who are insisting that Penn State University's football program be slapped with at least a one year "death penalty" for the facilitation and cover-up of years worth of child abuse this question: do you also support the abolition of the Catholic Church for centuries of systemic child abuse? Is it possible to "suspend" an organization's worldwide operation for a period of time as punishment for crimes committed and hidden?
When the NCAA looks into an athletics program's compliance with its bylaws, the investigations often use the term "institutional control" as the defining phrase of that university's culpability in alleged offenses. If the university's hierarchy was aware of the violations and didn't move to adequately respond to them, including actions taken to self-report violations to the governing body of college athletics, that university can find itself severely sanctioned. In the world of college athletics, those sanctions usually involve the loss of athletic scholarships or eligibility for post season tournaments or bowl games. In the only "death penalty" ruling in NCAA history, the SMU football program was completely shut down for a period of time, devastating that university's competitiveness in football thereafter.
Some critics of Penn State's handling of the Sandusky mess say nothing less than the death penalty for Nitany Lion Football will suffice, in light of the proven offenses. Others argue that to punish the entire team for the actions of a few coaches and university administrators is too harsh.
I don't know how I feel about the death penalty as a punishment for Penn State's actions, or lack thereof.
But I do know how I feel about the systematic abuse of children by the Catholic Church.
When priests and bishops are shuffled from diocese to diocese, parish to parish, in order to avoid pedophilia scandals, and when the Vatican is complicit in those efforts to evade prosecution of church officials, I have no qualms about pulling the plug on their entire operation.
The question of "lack of institutional control" is not up for debate.
Yellow crime scene tape should be stretched around Vatican City, and the doors of every Catholic Church on the planet should be welded shut.
Maybe we could give them another chance in a few years. Maybe we'd realize we're better off as a society without their "help".
But centuries worth of crimes and cover-ups far worse than what took place in the locker rooms of Penn State University deserve more than universal condemnation. They deserve consequences on every level, from prosecutions to financial reparations.
Perhaps shutting down the physical activities of the Church itself is the only way to bring pressure to bear on an organization that has operated above the law for hundreds of years.
When the NCAA looks into an athletics program's compliance with its bylaws, the investigations often use the term "institutional control" as the defining phrase of that university's culpability in alleged offenses. If the university's hierarchy was aware of the violations and didn't move to adequately respond to them, including actions taken to self-report violations to the governing body of college athletics, that university can find itself severely sanctioned. In the world of college athletics, those sanctions usually involve the loss of athletic scholarships or eligibility for post season tournaments or bowl games. In the only "death penalty" ruling in NCAA history, the SMU football program was completely shut down for a period of time, devastating that university's competitiveness in football thereafter.
Some critics of Penn State's handling of the Sandusky mess say nothing less than the death penalty for Nitany Lion Football will suffice, in light of the proven offenses. Others argue that to punish the entire team for the actions of a few coaches and university administrators is too harsh.
I don't know how I feel about the death penalty as a punishment for Penn State's actions, or lack thereof.
But I do know how I feel about the systematic abuse of children by the Catholic Church.
When priests and bishops are shuffled from diocese to diocese, parish to parish, in order to avoid pedophilia scandals, and when the Vatican is complicit in those efforts to evade prosecution of church officials, I have no qualms about pulling the plug on their entire operation.
The question of "lack of institutional control" is not up for debate.
Yellow crime scene tape should be stretched around Vatican City, and the doors of every Catholic Church on the planet should be welded shut.
Maybe we could give them another chance in a few years. Maybe we'd realize we're better off as a society without their "help".
But centuries worth of crimes and cover-ups far worse than what took place in the locker rooms of Penn State University deserve more than universal condemnation. They deserve consequences on every level, from prosecutions to financial reparations.
Perhaps shutting down the physical activities of the Church itself is the only way to bring pressure to bear on an organization that has operated above the law for hundreds of years.
4 comments:
"Perhaps shutting down the physical activities of the Church itself is the only way to bring pressure to bear on an organization that has operated above the law for hundreds of years." Hmmm .... that reminds me of ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miVoe7U6Lx4
Churches don't BREAK the Law (or pay taxes for that matter), They MAKE the Law!
I found the Freech report interesting but not any surprise:
Yes, like with the Catholic church their was a conspiracy of silence in regard to Jerry Sandusky's pediophilia. What you do remove all involved from PSU and focus on the next season.
Joe's statue should remain...
Sarge
I don't think the Catholic Church answers to anybody. They ARE the authority. Obviously we can choose to not recognize their authority, they have none over me. But neither do I, or you, or we, over them. There's no way to do it.
What would be cool is if all 'Catholics' were to turn their backs on them. They'd die of natural causes as soon as their funding was gone.
Squat. Having been abused by a non-Catholic church authority figure, I can tell you that little has really changed in how Society doesn't deal with sexual abuse of children.
I do have my own personal solution that could be applied in these cases. Drive the Pope and all his dandy boy Cardinals down to Atlanta and drop them off at the super max federal pen down there and drop them off at the showers.
Pick them up only after they agree to take appropriate actions. Repeat as needed.
Again, as a raped person, I have found that many, if not the great majority of men, have no real understanding or appreciation for the damage done by pedophiles.
My second solution is to place women in charge and give them full authority to determine punishments.
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