Speak Up

Evil flourishes in secrecy. It is up to all of us to speak up when we've been victimized, whether it be by a powerful individual or a corrupt corporation.

When it was brought to light that Sandusky was sexually abusing young boys under his control, I knew that these episodes weren't restricted to just recent years. Pedophiles are not born that way but they do start experimenting when they are quite young. Most marry and even have children but once they've crossed that invisible line between normal and deviant sexual interest they rarely stop offending.

I very much admire the young men who have stepped forward into the glaring spotlight to tell how he abused them. It can't be easy for them and I'm sure their reasons for exposing Sandusky is to save any children in the future from going through what they did. They are very brave and strong individuals.

How many young lives wouldn't have been messed up by this evil man if people who knew what he was doing had stopped him years ago. I'm not referring to the victims but to the bystanders who turned a blind eye to his horrible behaviour. This is a good example of why we need to speak out against what we know is wrong, regardless of the possibility of being attacked for speaking out ourselves.

Why Penn State University officials didn't put a stop to this years ago can be interpreted as their unwillingness to alienate a man who was useful to them and their school. If so, none of those knowledgable officials should be able to look at their own children and grandchildren without shame ever again.

I, for one, would rip the heart out of any person who sexually abused my babies. Creatures like Sandusky who prey on young children have no right to be part of our society and it's way past time that we jail abusers for the rest of their lives.