A monumental fall from grace
Penn State University took down Joe Paterno's statue earlier today, "in the wake of an investigative report that found the late coach and three other top Penn State administrators concealed sex abuse claims against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky." (Story via Huffington Post, AP photo by John Beale.)
Rightly so.
I'm not dancing in the streets about this, believe you me. The circumstances leading up to this event are too horrific. But for those of us who believe you should never turn a blind eye to child abuse, who believe victims' rights count for more than any sports program ever could, this is a milestone on the road to justice.
That said, I like that they shrink-wrapped his statue first. Shrouded it in blankets, too, before carting it off to a warehouse. I'm pretty sure there were practical reasons for treating it this way. But the metaphors, they write themselves.