The campaign for “moving forward,” which the Centre Daily Times, the State College business community and Penn State’s board of trustees appear to embrace, is very much in the American tradition.
As the CDT’s Sunday editorial clearly states, “Looking back would only serve to stall our progress, and would send the wrong message” to the “outside world.”
That point of view has its origin in our morally bankrupt business culture and in astounding historical illiteracy. It guaranteed that Americans would not atone for crimes committed against American Indians or black slaves.
Moving forward guaranteed that Americans would not atone for the bad intelligence, if not outright lies, used to justify the invasion of Iraq and killing at least 100,000 innocent Iraqis.
Moving forward guarantees Americans will not dispute the inflammatory false summary of Mike McQueary’s testimony — contradicted by McQueary himself — in the grand jury report.
Moving forward guarantees Americans will not dispute Louis Freeh’s slanderous accusation that Joe Paterno orchestrated a cover-up on Feb. 16, 2001. Yet, a critical email dated Feb. 17, 2001, still includes the option of reporting Sandusky to authorities.
Moving forward implies indifference to the upcoming trial of Tim Curley and Gary Schultz.
Walter C. Uhler State College
