“Would you be upset if you found out Sandusky was innocent?” Ryan asked me this morning. We were watching the Today show and they played a part of Sandusky’s ‘statement’ that he recorded from prison stating:
“They could take away my life, they could make me out as a monster, they could treat me as a monster, but they can’t take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged disgusting acts.”
This, of course, is after he went on National television after his arrest and broadcast that “I have horsed around with young kids,… I have touched their legs, I have showered with young boys…” not to mention the 40 counts of serial sex abuse of minors that he was charged with and convicted of and the 8 victims who have bravely come forward to tell their story that proved his guilt.
Granted, Ryan is learning ‘persuasive writing’ in English and I believe he has been given a gift to put judgment in God’s hands…however, I calmly explained that Sandusky had a fair trial, the jury heard the testimony and convicted him as guilty. Ryan said to me, “I know you are a bit biased because of what you do.” (God I do love my son! 😉 ) He is right, I probably am a bit ‘biased’ but I do believe in handing the ultimate judgment and sentence over to God. I did explain that if there was any reasonable doubt that these victims were possibly falsifying their accounts then I would not be upset if the jury had released him as ‘not guilty’. But that isn’t the case.
What really gets me going about this whole situation, and truthfully that of all of the alleged sex crimes that have been in the media within even my own religion and other denominations too, is the lack of remorse, regret or even a sincere apology from the accused.
I realized my son, as innocent and naive as he is, that he listened to this man’s words and thought ‘He sounds sincere, like he really didn’t do this and what if he is really innocent?’ and that scares me. It scares me because I know first hand how ‘innocent’ the accused can make themselves to be.
In my own trial we had three victims going against the accused rapist and yet because of his ‘status’, good looks, and charismatic ways his ‘innocence’ was assumed and took precedence. Or shall I mention my grandfather who molested his 2 year old daughter till she was 10 and his granddaughter…but yet on all accounts if you were to meet him he ‘appears’ innocent because he is jovial, loving, friendly, good-looking and kind. I loved him. He made me laugh. Yet when I wrote him a letter to ask him why…to hear that apology because I just couldn’t understand…he wrote back and gave no apology, instead he wrote ‘they are not innocent in this…they made me do it’. Ugh. Yet, I shared this with some family members that stand beside his ‘innocence’ and they wish to turn a blind eye because the atrocity of the truth is much harder to face than the ease of turning a blind eye.
So, forgive me if what I’d really like to see from the accused, especially those proven guilty, is a sincere apology. I honestly worry for their souls. They too are children of God and the only way I have found to forgive is to put them in God’s hands and feel pity for their souls. My grandfather is 90 years old now and still living even after being in a pretty severe car accident, he is still living. But he has yet to say he is sorry. Family members that look after him say he has turned to God, and I pray sincerely that he has, and maybe God is keeping him around to take the opportunity in this life to lower his demented pride and reach out to his victims and recognize the pain and hurt that he has caused and say “I am so sorry.” It won’t change the past and it doesn’t necessarily make it better but the victims deserve it.
I’m not cynical. I promise. 😉 I love to speak at the prisons and witness the sincerity of a soul that has stripped themselves of pride in order to receive the fullness of God’s love and compassion and work towards reparation.
Maybe my son felt a sense of concern for someone being wrongfully accused and suffering an unjust sentence. I appreciate this empathy and I couldn’t think of a worse tragedy than to have this happen to an innocent soul. But in the end the answer is still the same – we are all placed in the hands of God where His final judgment is all that matters. If there are innocent proven guilty then God will work His mighty power through them.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Blessings
Shannon
