Friday, November 11, 2011

Assumption

I’m not a reporter. Not that there was any confusion before, but I don’t want there to be any confusion now. I’ve been reading up on this cluster of a story out of Penn State, and based on a few things I’ve learned, I’ve started to draw some of my own conclusions. More like assumptions, and I hope I’m wrong, but I fear I am not.
Most of these facts have been well covered, obviously. We know that Jerry Sandusky is a gigantic piece of shit. He’s an evil piece of shit, who is accused of some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. We know multiple people heard at the very least, rumors, and didn’t do everything they could to find the truth. We know of one large man who is 6’3” and 265lbs, who allegedly saw a child being raped, and left the scene completely.
Here’s another slice of the story, which is public record, and finally now being talked about. When Sandusky was investigated for showering with a young boy in 1998, the case made it’s way to the desk of the county District Attorney, a man by the name of Ray Gricar. Mr. Gricar chose not to prosecute Sandusky at that time. It was left with Sandusky promising not to shower with kids anymore. Point 1, if you have to promise not to shower with young kids anymore,  you should also resign your position within a charitable organization (that you started) that aims to help children. Obviously, there’s something inappropriate (at best) going on.
The following year, Sandsusky resigned as assistant coach at Penn State. Most football coaches don’t retire at age 55, but he wanted to spend more time with his charity. The timing is a bit interesting, right? Then in 2002, we have the alleged assault in the shower. The Grand Jury testimony states that Gary Schultz, senior Vice President of Finance and Business at Penn State is among those informed of the assault. Among Schultz’s responsibilities at work, he oversaw the campus police department.
Ray Gricar was still the District Attorney in Centre County at this time. Three years later, Gricar phones his girlfriend that he’s on his way home. He never shows up. He’s never seen again, and his body is never found. His car is found near a bridge, much like his brother’s car was found near a bridge in 1996. His brother’s body was found in the river, an apparent suicide. What is found, is Ray’s work laptop. The U.S. Secret Service and the firm which successfully recovered data from the hard drive from the Space Shuttle Columbia, were unable to recover any data from the laptop. On Ray’s home computer, they find that internet searches such as “how to wreck a hard drive”, “how to fry a hard drive,” and “water damage to a notebook computer.” In July of this year, Gricar is declared presumed dead. First, think of a reason why someone might want to erase their hard drive. Next, think of reasons why someone might commit suicide. Did you get to the same conclusion as me?
Everything above is a matter of public record. The rest is based on my gut feelings, as well as some facts. Those facts being and this is uncomfortable (to say the least): Ray Gricar was raised a Catholic. Jerry Sandusky’s grandparents emigrated from Poland, where 89% of the population is Catholic. Joe Paterno…gulp..is Catholic. Google “Penn State,” “Catholic Church” and “parallels” and you get 127,000 results.
I am not saying that all Catholics molest children or are involved in the molestation of children. I don’t, for a second, believe this is a religious thing or anything like that. My point, and fear is, with abuse so rampant in the church for such a long time that perhaps it is passed on through the generations. I’ve done some reading in the link between victims who become the predators, and at this time “the existence of a cycle of sexual abuse was not established.” Although some studies estimate that 79% of offenders were victims as children.  
I also totally realize how this might sound ultra bigoted. If someone pointed out how Bernie Madoff and Lou Pearlman, two Jews, ran two of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history, that might offend more than a few. I am not attempting to point the finger at an entire religion, but the fact remains, the Church has a well documented history of this sort of thing. And a lot of the big players in this case, happen to be men of that faith. I don’t believe that being of any single faith makes a person do anything, but I do firmly believe that things like this can be learned through experience.
I’d bet every dollar I have that Sandusky was a victim of abuse as a child. Just like I’d bet OJ Simpson grew up in a home where there was violence against women. I really don’t mean to demonize everyone in the Church, but there’s so many cases where the Church acted so much like those involved in this case, I can’t help but think they learned their reactions (or even actions) from the Church.
I hope I’m wrong.

1 comment:

  1. Great take. Actually more straightforward than some of what I've read from the 'real' media. I didn't take that as a biased religious slant at all. It's been fairly well documented that the Catholic Church polices it's own (see Luminati).

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