Letters: Penn State’s Paterno statue

Re “At Penn State, calls to remove a legacy’s symbol,” July 14

Bobby Bowden, the former football coach of Florida State, wants the statue of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno removed because it will serve as a reminder of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal every time a game is played. This is exactly why it must remain.

If the statue is removed, on a crisp fall day in front of 100,000 cheering fans, we will hear “how refreshing it is that the student body has gotten past its dark moment.” Athletic departments at Penn State and elsewhere will be very ready to put “this thing with Sandusky,” as Bowden states, out of the memory of the student body, the public and their large donors.

Glenn Egelko

Ventura

The statue of Paterno should be melted immediately. To even have a debate about what a great coach he was despite allowing Sandusky to abuse children is beyond disgusting.

Paterno will forever be remembered as a coward who did not do the right thing. Everything else in his life must be overshadowed by the fact that he knew children were being raped but didn’t bother to do anything about it.

Tony Ferdyn

Santa Barbara

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