Devastated is the way one feels when something is done to you (or to someone you care about. It is pretty solidly an expression of passivity in this case.
More appropriate words for Paterno to use include contrite, repentant, ashamed, and apologetic.
I completely agree with the sentiment that Paterno should have done MUCH more than he did, and am not lessening his role in all of this. I just feel like because he's a big name, so many people are ignoring the unnamed people involved who witnessed this and did nothing. The people who actually walked in on Sandusky raping young boys, and did nothing. I have no idea what sort of person could see that and not beat the ever-loving piss out of that guy. But the sort of person who sees that, and just walks away... I can't even fathom this. None of this is ok, none of these people's actions are acceptable, and it all makes me sick that people like this exist in the world. :(
Oh, I totally buy that Paterno could be devastated that his cover-up to protect his football program, and his career-long reputation, are blown. Because that's what he cared about. He and everyone else involved basically sacrificed his integrity and I-don't-know-how-many-children for we-don't-know-how-many-years. He might be ashamed. He might be apologetic. I'm not yet convinced that he's contrite or repentant or truly sorry about the injury done to anything but himself and his football program. There had better be a lot more firings in State College before all of this is through, but they got two important ones last night.
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Date: 2011-11-10 02:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-10 12:32 pm (UTC)