Blue

When I was a kid the Pitt/Penn State rivalry was in full force. Having two older brothers who attended and graduated from Penn State, I had a lot of Penn State gear. A favorite was a button that read, "If God Isn't a Penn State Fan, Then Why Is the Sky Blue and White?" Thirty-Forty years ago, that button was cute; today it's sad, so very sad.

Today, the news revealed that the artist who created the mural celebrating the greats of Penn State University painted over the golden halo that he had painted above the head of Joe Paterno upon his passing earlier this year.

When the curtain is pulled back and the Wizard is an old man at a machine, those whom we make to be more than and are then revealed as flawed and failed that is a numbing, sorrowful experience.

Like most powerful institutions, Penn State was insulated, full of hubris, power, and an unwavering commitment to protect the institution beyond anything or anyone. I'll allow you, dear reader, to insert other institutions that fit this equation.

I have not worn any of my "Happy Valley" or "We Are" Penn State t-shirts nor buttons in some time. In part, the valley is far from happy and I don't know what Penn State was or will be.

Instead of what I view as senseless debate on what to do with the Paterno statue and whether or not the football team should play this season or the next or the one after that, I would hope we learn from this sad, tragic tale. Be wary of systems that grow too big and obtain too much power and lack transparency. For any of the many institutions of which we are a part, remind yourself what is the mission statement of the institution? Why do they exist? To what is it really and truly committed? When that starts to blur or diminish amidst power and control, raise the question and find the wind to blow the whistle.

sj;