Friday, June 29, 2012

THE SINS OF SANDUSKY: A Responsible Response


I have written precious little about Jerry Sandusky and the disgusting scandal that has swirled around him.  There are at least two reasons for my lack of comments.  First, I deeply respect the American Judicial system.  You know, the part that claims we are "innocent until proven guilty".  Regardless of how emotional I have been over the then-alleged acts of sexual abuse, I felt it was necessary to allow Mr. Sandusky to have his day in court.  Honestly, I had no doubt of his guilt.  The evidence appeared to be overwhelming.  Nevertheless, what did I know?  The sensationally-charged media did everything it could to convict him without a trial, and I have never held much respect for that form of journalism.  So I bit my tongue and anxiously waited.

My second reason for not speaking out, to date, has more to do with my total disdain for pedophiles and the abuse of children.  Sexual abuse, in particular, attacks the very core of human decency and violates every moral and ethical fiber within me.  The whole situation is almost too intense to deal with.

As the world now knows Mr. Sandusky had his day in court.  The legendary defensive coordinator of college football fame offered his best defense against the charges facing him.  A jury of twelve peers heard all the evidence and arguments before rendering their decision: Guilty on 45 of 48 counts.  The Sins of Sandusky have been revealed.

Sentencing has yet to take place but there is no reason to believe that Jerry Sandusky will be released from prison any time soon.  His crimes carry a maximum of 442 years in prison.  In all likelihood the former Penn State Assistant Coach will spend the rest of his life in prison.

When I heard the verdict on Friday evening I had mixed emotions.  Primarily I was humbled and thankful that our judicial system appeared to be working properly.  However, I was also shocked and angered at the response of many.

·        The crowd outside the courtroom burst into a joyous, celebrative cheer.  People hugged one another and screamed as if they were attending a sporting event.

·        Comments immediately raced across Twitter and Facebook.  Words that I will not repeat here were used to describe Sandusky along with graphic descriptions of what they hoped would happen to him at the hands of fellow inmates.

·        Even Joe Amendola, Sandusky's defense attorney, was smiling; laughing; while his client was escorted in handcuffs to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Somehow this union of exuberance,  vengeful hate, and sadistic eye-for-eye retaliation was a terrible slap in the face to the victims who suffered at the hands of this man.  These victims, including those who came forward and testified as well as those who remain too hurt to go public, continue to deal with their pain and confusion.  They will remain victims for the rest of their lives.

I know a man quite well who was sexually assaulted and abused over a two year period when he was a teenager.  He was a victim of a man who was some 45 years older than him, a well-respected leader in his community.  My friend confesses that he still feels shame, guilt, and confusion as a result of these events that took place about 36 - 38 years ago.  He has, in his own words, been "permanently scarred and marked as a pervert", at least in his own mind.  Today, my friend is a firm believer in Jesus Christ.  He knows he has received the Grace of God and he bears no guilt before God for the crimes committed against him.  He seeks no "justice"; desires no revenge.  And yet he lacks a certain peace within himself.  As he confided in me, "I just cannot get the image out of my mind.  It doesn't haunt me day and night.  I can go for extended periods of time without the nightmares and the recurring thoughts.  But they never leave completely.  They have been burned on my brain like some kind of mental tattoo and every now and then it is uncovered."

That is the problem with violations of this nature.  They never go away.  One can faithfully go through all kinds of therapy and counseling.  One can turn to God and undergo a powerful conversion or spiritual renewal.  One can indeed be "born again", becoming a "new creature in Christ" to the point that "the old is gone and the new has come."  (See John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17).  Still, my experiences in dealing with individuals tells me that the past can never be fully erased.  At best, one can learn to manage it with some degree of success.  But some things can never be undone.

This is why calls for celebration as well as curses of revenge or retaliation are misguided.  The cannot deliver closure for the victims.  Even if we, the general public, who endured the newscasts and reports for the past eight months or so can find some relief in a guilty verdict, it is not enough.  Out of respect for the victims we would be wise to direct our attention to more productive ways of responding.  Examples would include advocating better laws and stricter supervision of young people.  Making sure that a child or youth is never left alone with an adult in a compromising situation.  Support programs that offer assistance to victims of abuse and assault both as preventive measures and in dealing with the trauma after it occurs.  Certainly organizations like the Second Mile need to be challenged to examine their policies and procedures with the utmost care that such instances will not happen again. 

And there is another response we can offer: prayer!  Indeed, rather than celebrating the verdict or reveling in anticipated payback, let us pray for the victims that the peace of Christ may flood their souls. 

The Sins of Sandusky were great and sickening.  He will now be forced to take responsibility for his actions.  However, lest we find it satisfying to judge, it behooves all of us to examine our own lives and take responsibility - as individuals and as a society - for the protection and the safety of all who are entrusted to us.  Our children and youth, the elderly, the disabled, the poor, the minorities, the strangers and sojourners among us are all our responsibility to look after and protect.  Until we do, our work is not done.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline number is 800-656-HOPE.


GDGehr June 29, 2012
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