Blowing the whistle

I've been somewhat paying attention to this whole Penn State thing, although everything is limited for the next 2.5 weeks, until my Masters is finished!

I find something interesting - the person who initially saw this illegal thing happen should have blown the whistle and called the police (say many people apparently) and now this person is getting death threats. I'm told he was a grad student then and called his dad who called or talked to someone else who talked to someone else who... it seems to go on and on and nothing is done.

And that person at the very bottom who saw this horrible thing, has and will carry it with him forever.

Regardless of what the thing is, and whether it's illegal or not, and whether that (legality) is questionable - when at the bottom of everything, it's a bit different, and I wonder if all these people judging the person at the bottom have ever been there.

I wonder how many people have been at the bottom and wondered what to do, and not known, and carry this with them. I bet there are a bunch of us. So now you know I, along with many, carry something. It's not to the same degree at all, but I live with it each day, as has that person, for years.

Something happened to me and I told a person of more authority who I trusted. This sounds similar. And that person said we'll address this, but let's just keep this here and not get too many people involved. Hmmm... sounding similar. The person of trust - we kept it small - and it follows me, a lot, though I did hand that over to God in the mountains over Labor Day weekend so it's not as bad.

But the fact is, even though it's nothing illegal, I went somewhere after the whole thing occurred and I was told by someone who knew nothing about my story, a person who was giving general advice - she said, "if someone says to keep this here and not get too many people involved, then that's a big red flag to get someone involved." Gulp. Oops? It's so difficult - on the bottom of the totem pole, told something will be addressed --> it isn't. At the bottom of the totem pole, does one just skip to another entity? No - it's frightening. Even when told about the red flag, it seems too late.

And so I have this with me forever. Something happened. It probably has happened to others. It will happen to others, because it was kept so small. And these others - my heart breaks for them.

If anything does ever happen, where am I? Will I be blamed?

And my little scenerio is not dealing with the law, although maybe it is.

So that person at the bottom at Penn State, I think he did what he could, at his age, his level of authority. He's carried this in silence and now will carry it while being criticized, forever.

Peace.