Jamie, Fergus, and Penn State

The more details I hear about the sickening abuse of young boys by Penn State's Jerry Sandusky -- particularly the story of "victim number 2", the ten-year-old whose rape Mike McQueary allegedly witnessed -- the more I'm struck by the contrast between this story and what happened to Fergus in DRAGONFLY IN AMBER.

"He said, 'You.  Come along,' and took me by the arm.  I held back, Madame--I told him my employer was above, and that I couldn't--but he wouldn't listen.  Madame Elise whispered in my ear that I should go with him, and she would split the money with me afterward."  Fergus shrugged, and looked at me helplessly.  "I knew the ones who like little boys don't usually take very long.  I thought he would be finished long before milord was ready to leave."

(From Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 28 ("The Coming of the Light"). Copyright© 1992 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.)

And Jamie's reaction:

"Milord Tuarach rushed down the stairs, seized the Englishman by the throat, and shook him like a rat!"

"Non! Ce n'est pas vrai!"

"Oh, yes!  It took three of Madame's servants to restrain him--such a wonderful big man, isn't he?  So fierce-looking!"

"Yes, but then what?"

"Oh--well, Jacques said the Englishman gasped for a bit, then straightened up and said to milord Tuarach, 'That's twice you've come near killing me, Fraser.  Someday you may succeed.'  And then milord Tuarach cursed in that terrible Scottish tongue--I don't understand a word, do you?--and then he wrenched himself away from the men holding him, struck the Englishman across the face with his bare hand"--Louise gasped at the insult--"and said,'Tomorrow's dawn will see you dead!'"

(From Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 24 ("The Bois de Boulogne"). Copyright© 1992 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.)

That's the difference, I guess, between a fictional hero, a man of action, and a modern-day coward (at least in my opinion) who not only did nothing to interfere when he saw a child being raped, but didn't even call the police to report what he'd seen.

The whole story makes me sick.  I hope the Penn State students who rioted the other night in support of Joe Paterno will eventually come to their senses and realize that there are more important things in this world than football.  Like making sure that young children are safe from rapists and sexual predators.

A friend of mine (who happens to be a Penn State graduate) posted this link on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing: Omelas State University