Victors not Howler Monkeys
This is my first time starting a thread, so please be kind.
Monday night, Nel Rubin in the Detroit News posted an article containing an idea for the UM game vs. Penn State; a way to protest Penn State's continued lionizing of JoePa and whitewashing his complicity in the Sandusky affair. This idea, by alumni Tim Flucht, is rather than yell, boo, and wear ugly t-shirts the day of the game, to be silent when PSU enters the stadium and encourage everyone to donate at least $5 apiece toward improving the lives of local children who've been devastated by predators. $5 x 100K fans = $1/2 Million - which will be more meaning ful than any protest.
Together we can show who are the real Victors.
September 14th, 2016 at 11:36 AM ^
Maybe just rush the field while wearing a stupid anti-PSU t-shire when PSU enters the field.
I mean, hey, it worked for Ryan Lochte protesters at dancing with the stars
/s
(I'm still not exactly sure WHAT they were protesting - lying? drinking? being a douche? seems like one of the dumber protests ever).
September 14th, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
Sorry, but I find this perspective to be reprehensible and part of the problem. Was JoePa's inaction during years of abuse separate from the football field? This approach is reminiscent of his - turn a blind eye and focus on nothing but the game. The whole point is that through football we make lives better for the players. It is about keeping kids, who grow up to be football players (or whatever else) who then grow into men, safe.
And its not just the players' game. Ask any AD, it's the fans' game too. The players play it, we support them. We support them financially, and we should support them morally. And morally includes protesting an athletic department that should do more about JoePa's complicitness.
September 14th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
This is exactly the problem. Leave these kids alone because they had nothing to do with this?!?
All of these kids are part of "Football" and some are part of "Penn State Football". Some people at the helm of Penn State and Penn State Football decided to stay silent when someone else near the top rung of Penn State Football was molesting kids.
The most likely explanation is they wanted to keep Penn State Football going. To me that is reason enough to keep reminding these kids and everyone else that Football and Penn State Football is not bigger than other human beings.
I am ok with a peaceful protest inside the stadium in full view of the kids playing the game they love.
September 14th, 2016 at 12:36 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 1:00 PM ^
But your point is that this type of protest would detract from football. Putting more importance on football than other things is the root of the problem here (for example the problem of honoring Joe Pa while giving a giant middle finger to Sandusky's victims).
September 14th, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^
My comment never said that football was more important than any politcal protest, or indeed, justice itself. My comment was aimed to highlight that the protest and anger does not need to manifest itself at every moment and every opportunity whenever PSU is involved in anything. And where/when does it end? Do we continue to rail at PSU for generations to come? Do we hate upon their fanbase until death simply because they have their own interpretation of Joe Pa's legacy?
Considering we no longer otrasize the Germans for their (much more heinous) atrocities committed the better part of a century ago, perhaps we can find a way to reach closure on this issue also.
September 14th, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^
This would be a moral protest.
The problem with penn state is their alumni. They keep electing paterno apologist trustees. As long as they are doing that they need to be reminded that paterno's football wins are not more important that child safety.
September 14th, 2016 at 8:17 PM ^
Then go after their Alumni Ass'n and/or their AD donors. Make a logical, rational arguement with them and, if needed, conduct the moral protest there. It seems a more justified venue for action, albeit not as visible.
September 15th, 2016 at 8:42 AM ^
You cannot be serious. You are either copletely ignorant of social movements or basically any history, or you are just burrying yoru head in the sand. No culture change or institutional change occurs by the methods you suggest.
September 15th, 2016 at 12:14 AM ^
I disagree with your defense. You said that events should focus on football and that the players deserve the attention. The football game will still happen if a peaceful protest precedes it. Saying "this is football, there is no room for political statements" is definitely a form of putting football first. No one is saying that we need to eternally condemn everything about their university (okay, some people are saying this), but I'm just arguing against your logic because it is exactly consistent with the problem here. You've changed your argument here in pointing out the duration and extent of the social consequences of their actions, but that was not the point you were making at first.
September 14th, 2016 at 1:44 PM ^
I politely suggest you are 100% wrong, and you're just burying your head in the sand.
First, it's not a reaction to stuff unrelated to their present team & players. It's about Pedo State HONORING JoePa this season -- like, WTF guys. That's an on-field thing involving their current team/program that we are upset about.
September 14th, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^
Secondly, pedophilia has been hidden up by many institutions most notably the Catholic Church. The existence of a football program is incidental to the actions. It's a framework for behavior that is not all that uncommon.
September 14th, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
By your logic, we should completely disavow football, the Big Ten, PSU, the state of Pennsylvania, every recruit who ever considered going to PSU, every coach who was ever employed by PSU (e.g. Mike Zordich, who now does an excellent job under Harbaugh with us), and for that matter all of college athletics - and maybe just as well pro athletics, simply because it contributed to creating a culture that allowed a serious child abuse to go unreported.
Perhaps we should all calm down and think about things rationally and unemotionally before we decide to burn everything down in a fit self-righteous anger. Maybe not EVERYTHING is morally despicable and worthy of destruction, including *gasp* some things connected to PSU.
We HAVE venues and forums for justice to be done - criminal courts, civil courts, public opinion, instituional legacies, and several other avenues to properly punish those responsible. Maybe we can let some 20-something students play their game for a few hours without agonizing of the symbolism of it... maybe?
September 14th, 2016 at 12:32 PM ^
Just post... this is one of the most lame statements an OP can make.
That's my protest.
September 14th, 2016 at 12:32 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
September 14th, 2016 at 12:49 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 1:24 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
September 14th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
that is all
September 14th, 2016 at 3:51 PM ^
What do you have against Monkeys?
September 14th, 2016 at 8:20 PM ^
They fling poo and (rumor has it) they eat boogers.