Parakalein

Penn State Football will never be the same again.

Joe Paterno was a great leader of men.  He inspired men, commanded men, developed men, charged men and even stood up against wrong when standing up gave him good PR.  There was the time that he rejected an invitation top the White House by a sitting president when his team was undefeated but uninvited to the championship game so was not considered to be the NCAA National Football Championship that year.  He was building the program at that time that is now collapsing.

It is one thing to as a leader, inspired, develop, challenge, build men of character, it is another thing to live as a person of character.  Here is where Joe failed.  He had a part that was so afraid of the negative publicity when the report of sexual abuse by one of his coaches reached his office he did not stand up.
Leadership is not just standing tall when molding men and doing the right thing.  Leadership is also standing tall and strong in the face of wrong with out concern for negative fallout but just because it is right to do.  Leadership is standing for right and standing against wrong.

Years ago A Great Leader with a lot of power went ahead and beheaded John the Baptist not because he had done anything wrong but because of his wife's hatred of his honest challenge to her.  King Herod told his daughter that he would give her whatever she wanted if she danced for him.  She did.  Influenced by her mother she asked for the head of John the Baptist.  Herod, gave it to her stating that integrity demanded that he honor his word.  Herod was the King.  Could he use his power to stand tall and strong in the presence of this abuse of power, this manipulation of hatred, this cover up?  Yes, he could have by admitting his weakness and his vanity but to do so he would have to see the power of presence of mind to yield power as greater than the presence of mind to wield power.

Joe honored his word and his friendship to his assistant coach but violated the "code of honor" to man up when it takes the greatest courage to do so, in the face of wrong regardless of the fallout.

We use the expression these days to "man up" in a way that supports being tough but could it also be a challenge to man up when it is the toughest to be tough regardless of the cost.  The price of not manning up in this way is to lose the legacy of leadership.

A sad way to end a career of courage, a betrayal of the heart of courage.

It is a call to all of us to stand with valor, virtue, and vigor less we let the victims of the abuse of power be silenced and the abuse be neglected.  It is time for a moral outrage against violence, for peace, and against all acts of abuse for all people with any kind of power, real or perceived.

People Up!