As I See It

Got Scrap? The Advocacy of Conflict.
Conflict is not only natural and healthy, but conflict is necessary in the development of young men. I am not advocating violence, although men need to understand, conflict can lead to violence. The more comfortable men are with this understanding of conflict, the more self confident they will become. Stand-ing up for the weak or what is unjust in this world causes conflict. This conflict, when justified, is necessary and the responsibility of all men. By now most everyone has heard about the scandal involving Penn State University. Former assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky founded “The Second Mile”, a program for underprivileged young people who could “benefit from positive human interaction”. Sandusky allegedly used this program to pipe-line young men to his door so he could sexually assault them. According to the Grand Jury Report several peo-ple were aware of Sandusky’s inappropriate activities and did nothing. The report details in 2000, two members of the Penn State janitorial staff witnessed Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy; yet they did nothing to stop it. Again in 2002 an assistant coach and former Penn State football player, Michael McQueary, witnessed San-dusky assaulting a boy at on the Penn State campus in a locker room shower. According to reports McQueary alerted his head coach Joe Paterno, thus fulfilling his “legal obligation”. McQueary also reported directly following his witnessing of the incident he called his father for advice. His father advised him to leave the campus and come home. WHAT? Come home! How about call the police, campus security. How about get your candy ass back over there and confront him! What do you think your father would tell you to do if you witnessed a child being raped? I can only speculate that all of these people were so afraid of conflict that they allowed children to be in harm’s way. Be thankful they are not your neighbors. Then again, sickos who hurt kids are everywhere and so are the cowards who let it happen. You can pick which one you want to live next door to; the one who will hurt your kid or the neighbor who is so self absorbed and cowardly that they will watch and let it happen? Call me old fashioned but I think there are still things worth starting a fight over. However you feel about conflict we should all agree that the strong should protect the weak. If you can’t get on board with protecting kids from pedophiles maybe you should move to Happy Val-ley PA, rumor has it that they tolerate you kind there. Stand up for what is right, if that means conflict then so be it. Act like a man. Start Today.
-S. Hanson