Some Justice

Ruffle My Feathers, a weekly sports column by Justin Lewis

Some Justice

Jerry Sandusky has been sentenced. The crimes included approximately 15 years of perverse acts (nothing short of pure evil) that involved at least (10) young boys. All of that led to a surprisingly quick court hearing (80-minutes) yesterday morning (Tuesday October 9^th, 2012) that will send this disturbed “man” to prison.

Mr. Sandusky and his lawyers apparently opened his sentencing by agreeing with a Pennsylvania agency that he was indeed a “violent sexual predator”. Which leads me to ask, how does one proclaim innocence when you agree that you ARE INDEED what they say you are?! That was just the first evidence that this guy was indeed off his rocker. When Sanduskywas given the opportunity to speak he mentioned this, “I’ve been kissed by dogs, and I’ve been bit by dogs.” I don’t know about you but if you ask me it seems like he is a couple cans short of a six-pack.

With each count (45 to be exact) that was read it apparently became more and more difficult to understand how someone could possibly do these things. Of course EVERYONE is capable of doing Good AND Bad things and I know (depending on your faith/religion) we are not supposed to judge, but it’s for lack of a better word mind-boggling how someone could do such things. For each one of the charges the judge listed the crime and subsequently the sentence. For instance he stated, “For Count 3, corruption of a minor, no less than six months nor more than 12 months.” Think about that for a second. The judge had to read over 45 of those and all of that boiled down to him being guilty and serving “no less than 30 years and more than 60 years.”

I believe that most times judges are not supposed to be bias but after watching/hearing him read the verdict I could sense a bit of “Umph” in his voice. What I mean by that is it felt like he was more than happy to read that verdict and put the man in jail for the rest of his “natural life.”

In many cases the court system has taken it upon itself to ensure a message is delivered in terms of sentencing e.g. Sentencing certain individuals to 100 or more years KNOWING that LIVING to be over 80 years old is a rare and extraordinary occurrence. The guy is only 68 years old and they sentenced him to 30 years in prison. Who’s to say that if they feel he has been punished enough in prison (don’t think they wont consider that because they know child rapists/molesters do NOT do well in jail), that they wont let him out 10-15 years from now. Just because he is 80-85 years old doesn’t mean his mind isn’t sharp enough to remember how to either pass his “knowledge” on to someone else or personally do what he has done in the past. They have put INNOCENT people in jail for periods near/longer than 30 years so why should he get the same treatment? Bottom Line they need to make sure he stays in there for the rest of his life.

Another thing that is bothering me is the fact that there was no mention of how much “extra damage” he has done to his victims and also how his influence (among others) was vital in the destruction of Penn State’s storied football program that resulted in the elimination of years of great victories and honors that the PLAYERS achieved on/off the field. There was no mention of former Penn State president Graham Spanier; nor any mention of Penn State administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz who are facing a trial (that will commence in January) on charges of perjury for their role in the facilitation and concealment of Sandusky’s heinous actions.

To further bolster my case (that he should be given over 100 years in prison) I will leave you with this transcript from an interview between Bob Costas and Jerry Sandusky.

BOB COSTAS: Mr. Sandusky, there’s a 40-count indictment. The grand jury report contains specific detail. There are multiple accusers, multiple eyewitnesses to various aspects of the abuse. A reasonable person says where there’s this much smoke, there must be plenty of fire. What do you say?

JERRY SANDUSKY: I say that I am innocent of those charges.

COSTAS: Innocent? Completely innocent and falsely accused in every aspect?

SANDUSKY: Well I could say that, you know, I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their leg. Without intent of sexual contact. But – so if you look at it that way – there are things that wouldn’t – you know, would be accurate.

COSTAS: Are you denying that you had any inappropriate sexual contact with any of these underage boys?

SANDUSKY: Yes, I– yes I am.

COSTAS: Never touched their genitals? Never engaged in oral sex?

SANDUSKY: Right.

COSTAS: What about Mike McQueary, the grad assistant who in 2002 walked into the shower where he says in specific detail that you were forcibly raping a boy who appeared to be ten or 11 years old? That his hands were up against the shower wall and he heard rhythmic slap, slap, slapping sounds and he described that as a rape?

SANDUSKY: I would say that that’s false.

COSTAS: What would be his motive to lie?

SANDUSKY: You’d have to ask him that.

COSTAS: What did happen in the shower the night that Mike McQueary happened upon you and the young boy?

SANDUSKY: Okay, we– we were showing and– and horsing around. And he actually turned all the showers on and was– actually sliding– across the– the floor. And we were– as I recall possibly like snapping a towel, horseplay.

COSTAS: In 1998, a mother confronts you about taking a shower with her son and inappropriately touching him. Two detectives eavesdrop on a conversation with you, and you admit that maybe your private parts touched her son. What happened there?

SANDUSKY: I can’t exactly recall what was said there. In terms of– what I did say was that if he felt that way, then I was wrong,

COSTAS: During one of those conversations, you said, “I understand, I was wrong, I wish I could get forgiveness,” speaking now with the mother. “I know I won’t get it from you. I wish I were dead.” A guy falsely accused or a guy whose actions have been misinterpreted doesn’t respond that way, does he?

SANDUSKY: I don’t know. I didn’t say, to my recollection that I wish I were dead. I was hopeful that we could reconcile things.

COSTAS: Shortly after that in 2000, a janitor said that he saw you performing oral sex on a young boy in the showers– in the Penn State locker facility. Did that happen?

SANDUSKY: No.

COSTAS: How could somebody think they saw something as extreme and shocking as that when it hadn’t occurred, and what would possibly be their motivation to fabricate it?

SANDUSKY: You’d have to ask them.

COSTAS: It seems that if all of these accusations are false, you are the unluckiest and most persecuted man that any of us has ever heard about.

SANDUSKY: (LAUGHS) I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t think that these have been the best days of my life.