# Pitting ALL those who are Ok with a man watching a child being raped **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 15, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982 "2011-11-15T05:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/1 "2011-11-15T05:24:21Z")
Ok, I am pitting everyone who thinks it is ok to watch a small child being raped and not contact the police. This is in response to the “Explain The Penn State Fiasco” thread here: [Explain The Penn State Fiasco - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=630892) I do not want to take the time to name all those I am pitting, because I think it would be half the posters in the thread. Now If McQueary saw the act, was scared and shocked, ran out and called the police, or even called them the next day, I would be accept that. I could buy a person being thrown into a state of shock and not knowing what to do. But that asshole didn’t do that. He told his boss. Then when it became clear his boss wasn;t doing shit, he did nothing. He watched a man rape a child. Then he went to work with that man for years after the event. And people are Ok with that? What the fuck? And people have the balls to say he was worried about his career. Fuck his career. Sure, I would not want to see a man have his life ruined for doing the right thing. But it’s not like he was turning in another person for not paying his taxes. It was a god damn rape of a child! It makes me sick that people here are ok with this. It really does. How the Hell can you defend a man who watched a child being raped and then went to the office the next day and worked with the rapist. And continued to work with him for years. I am sickened. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/2 "2011-11-15T05:29:46Z")
Agreed. People are selfish…especially when their careers/money/fame is on the line. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/3 "2011-11-15T06:13:26Z")
He did do something. But the idea that people will do the right thing in those circumstances is contrary to evidence. It is easy to think you would act right. But you do not know until you are there. It is not about right or wrong. it is about being a flawed human, like we all are. Kids suffered at the hands of a well connected football coach. The same coach who had power over McQueary.It is easy to say he should have done more. But he did tell Paterno, who was one of the most powerful people in the state. That should have taken care of the problem. If Paterno pushed it, the problem would have ended. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/4 "2011-11-15T06:19:43Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > Ok, I am pitting everyone who thinks it is ok to watch a small child being raped and not contact the police. :eek: Call the police while masturbating?! You’re sick! ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/5 "2011-11-15T06:48:59Z")
It’s possible that at some point after the original report, Paterno reassured McQueary that it ‘was being handled’ and justice was being done, albeit quietly. Remember that Paterno had god-like powers at Penn State - I could see McQueary walking away thinking that Paterno had put an end to the abuse without making it public, and being uncomfortable with it, but not uncomfortable enough to challenge the entire Penn State football program. After all, if kids aren’t getting raped any more, that’s what really matters, right? Remember that Joe Pa had an impeccable reputation at that point in time, and also had a much better grasp of the local politics than McQueary. If Joe Pa says that handling it quietly was really for the best, and that McQueary doesn’t need to worry about it further, then he must be right. Right? That’s all hypothetical, but it seems likely enough to me. I guess I’m not willing to judge McQueary without having been there. I doubt I could stomach working with someone I’d seen raping a kid, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/6 "2011-11-15T15:14:03Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > He did do something. But the idea that people will do the right thing in those circumstances is contrary to evidence. It is easy to think you would act right. But you do not know until you are there. It is not about right or wrong. it is about being a flawed human, like we all are. > Kids suffered at the hands of a well connected football coach. The same coach who had power over McQueary.It is easy to say he should have done more. But he did tell Paterno, who was one of the most powerful people in the state. That should have taken care of the problem. If Paterno pushed it, the problem would have ended. This is the attitude that makes me want to puke and hit people. I mean, if someone had walked in to see an adult man repeatedly punching a young child in the face, would they walk away and let it continue?? And this was worse. Much worse. It probably hurt the kid more physically and certainly hurt him more psychologically. And a special place in hell goes to the poster in another thread ( md2000, i have some guesses as to what the md stands for) who suggested that there would be no evidence of rape left in the 2 minutes or so it might take the police to respond and that the child would’ve effectively covered for Sandusky, so McCreary did right by letting it continue. Post 68 - quoted here \*Would the police be there before all evidence was gone? Would the average 10yo admit to anyone what had happened? (Do you think he would be threatened by the perv to not tell?) Is a small-town policeman going to put a lot of effort into arresting the coaching staff of his favourite team and upsetting the biggest applecart in town? Heck, after it’s pretty much definite what happened, hundreds of fans still rioted because the head coach was being held to account… If the guy knew he was seen, everything would be cleaned up in 2 minutes. When’s the last time police responded to anything within 2 minutes. In many college towns, the first thing to police would do is call the campus police to take care of it. It would still boil down to a “he said” vs “HE denied” and likely the boy corroborates the big shot. It’s a big “if” to put your whole world on the line. In the end McCreary did do it, and it looks like he’ll still pay the price. And as you see by your last sentence, he’s still being blamed for something despite blowing the whistle and seeing for 9 years the evidence that his word was worthless. \* * * * There would be hard evidence of such an assault. Sandusky’s DNA would be inside the child’s anus, either as preejaculate or saliva. There would probably be bruising around the child’s rectum and tearing of the anal tissue…which are very tender and rip easily, especially in a child. There also might be artificail lubricants in the child’s anus. If McCreary had done the right thing there would be a buttload ( pardon the pun) of unimpeachable physical evidence. It would not be cleaned up in 2 minutes And the notion that Sandusky and the child would’ve talked their way out of being caught in the act is ridiculous. It is probably not unusual for a child to try to cover for his abuser but do you really think the cops would’ve said…“did anything happen when you were in the shower naked with this man” “NO?” “Ok, case closed” Actually the Penn State cops might’ve acted this way but that’s part of the problem…real cops would question both parties separately about the events of the past few hours and latch on to discrepancies… And what if Sandusky had ruptured the child’s large intestine, causing him to bleed to death.?..or what if Sandusky had been so freaked out about being spotted that he strangled the kid? Or what if the child (after seeing an adult observe him being assaulted and giving a wink and thumbs up and a carry on" instead of helping) became so despondent that he killed himself? Would you still have insisted that this ass did the right thing by "not rocking the boat? Not “upsetting the applecart”? Not killing the cash cow? And a side question for you sports fans since I am blessedly ignorant of athletics. Sandusky has claimed, through his lawyer, that he is a jock and “horsing around naked” is what jocks do. Do male athletes really soap each other up in the showers? I have a hard time believing that is a common practice. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/7 "2011-11-15T15:28:32Z")
I just wonder why I keep hearing about this guy and Poterno, and not the actual pedophile or the people who deliberately covered it up. Why are people more upset at the guys who just didn’t do all they could to stop it, and not the people who intentionally enabled it to happen? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/8 "2011-11-15T15:34:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just wonder why I keep hearing about this guy and Poterno, and not the actual pedophile or the people who deliberately covered it up. Why are people more upset at the guys who just didn’t do all they could to stop it, and not the people who intentionally enabled it to happen? Because we know those folks are in deep deep shit legally. Its Paterno and McQueary that likely failed to do enough and may be legally in the clear. So, all we have left for punishment for them is social scorn and other “punishment” outside of the legal system. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/9 "2011-11-15T15:40:17Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just wonder why I keep hearing about this guy and Poterno, and not the actual pedophile or the people who deliberately covered it up. Why are people more upset at the guys who just didn’t do all they could to stop it, and not the people who intentionally enabled it to happen? It’s because there’s disagreement over whether what McQueary and Paterno did was wrong, and if so, how much and how so, but 100% agreement that Sandusky and anyone who deliberately shielded him are pure evil. People aren’t _more_ upset at McQueary and Paterno, it’s just that there’s room for discussion in their case. As for Sandusky, what more can you say? “I think that guy was really wrong to rape those children!” “Yes. Yes, he was.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/10 "2011-11-15T15:40:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just wonder why I keep hearing about this guy and Poterno, and not the actual pedophile or the people who deliberately covered it up. Because there’s controversy over the actions of McQueary and Paterno. There’s no controversy about the actions of the child rapist or the university brass who didn’t go to the police and then perjured themselves in front of a grand jury to cover their asses. [EDIT: Damn you to hell, **Heart of Dorkness** , damn you to hell!] Anyway - and I’m surprised this hasn’t been mentioned in the thread -but it’s now being reported that McQueary did not just walk away after he saw Sandusky raping a child. Quoting from ESPN here: > [@](#): > > However, a source familiar with the state investigation told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi that McQueary stopped the alleged 2002 sexual assault. > > NBC quoted portions from an email McQueary sent to former teammates in which he said, “… the truth is not out there fully… I didn’t just turn and run… I made sure it stopped…” I’m not sure how that squares with his grand jury testimony but it’s possible a lot of people were hasty here. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/11 "2011-11-15T15:57:07Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > He watched a man rape a child. Then he went to work with that man for years after the event. And people are Ok with that? What the fuck? > And people have the balls to say he was worried about his career. I don’t see anyone in there suggesting they’re okay with it. I see people offering explanations (not excuses) for McQueary’s decision-making process. Yet more overreaction from the current round of “I hate rape more than you” game. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/12 "2011-11-15T16:48:04Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > This is the attitude that makes me want to puke and hit people. > > I mean, if someone had walked in to see an adult man repeatedly punching a young child in the face, would they walk away and let it continue?? And this was worse. Much worse. It probably hurt the kid more physically and certainly hurt him more psychology. Yes, the probability is that the viewer would walk away. People are pretty well programmed to mind their own business. There are all sorts of ramifications that could occur. Most people try to stay away from trouble. But McQueary did not just walk away. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/13 "2011-11-15T20:16:09Z")
Copied from the parent thread: > [@Explain The Penn State Fiasco](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-penn-state-fiasco/602451/111): > > Yeah. He should have reported it to the campus police. After all, if he’d spent 10 years or more on campus, he’d know that gets results. Or he could wait until the mayor or the governor were seated in their complimentary box during one of the games, and told them… (sarcasm alert!) > > What do you suggest he do after the fact? We’re yapping in circles here, but when the whole small town deck is stacked against you, how much effort do you put into it? Maybe he told the local prosecutor, the one who mysteriously disappeared… > > I say he displayed a lot of courage by telling Paterno in the first place. I give Paterno credit for not railroading the guy out of town as a threat… maybe Paterno did not believe him, just thought he was misunderstanding what he saw. Willful blindness. Your attitude makes me sick. What fucking town was stacked against him? Your telling me that you think if he called child services and reported the rape, that they would have told him it was kool with them and to let it go? And how about the children that were harmed after he watched the rape? He could have potentially saved those kids from going through it. But he chose not to. I am really starting to think you are one of those people who feel that rape isn’t a crime. Or that it dosn;t really happen. If so, you have a real problem. md2000, Ann Hedonia is right. There is a special place in Hell for you. ---
**Author:** ![ballardfam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@ballardfam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ballardfam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/14 "2011-11-15T22:09:14Z")
I agree with the OP. There are some things which even fear & self interest don’t mitigate. Condoning rape or any type of sexual abuse of a child by inaction is one of them. One thing I really have trouble wrapping my mind around (actually one of many) is the lack of concern for the boy after. I haven’t heard any mention of anyone contacting him after in any way to ascertain his physical or mental health. It’s like he simply disappeared from their reality. How could anyone know the abuse stopped? It feels like he was of no value to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/15 "2012-01-27T05:50:00Z")
Starving Artist, you are a fucked up person. Either you are having a go at us (which it really dosn;t seem like), or you are fucked up beyond repair. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/16 "2012-01-27T06:04:26Z")
I’m assuming you’re referring to this thread [page 46](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=630580&page=46) Yeah, he’s a sick one. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/17 "2012-01-27T06:06:14Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > Starving Artist, you are a fucked up person. Either you are having a go at us (which it really dosn;t seem like), or you are fucked up beyond repair. I was about to warn people that, if they’re bothered by people defending That Which Should Never Be Defended, **do NOT open the Paterno pit thread!** Over 2000 posts, and it really did get truly sickening toward the end. I am honestly nauseous just thinking of a few of the posts there. Fucked up, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/18 "2012-01-27T06:07:05Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I’m assuming you’re referring to this thread [page 46](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=630580&page=46) > > Yeah, he’s a sick one. Yep. That would be the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/19 "2012-01-27T06:16:04Z")
What was it again that Newt said about liberals and uncomfortable truths? Oh, yeah, that they must not be spoken. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982/20 "2012-01-27T07:11:29Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > What was it again that Newt said about liberals and uncomfortable truths? > > Oh, yeah, that they must not be spoken. > > :rolleyes: Who the fuck said anything about liberals? Why must everything be about politics with you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-all-those-who-are-ok-with-a-man-watching-a-child-being-raped/602982.md?page=2)