Wow. RW meme re: PSU voiced by several of my patients this week:

[PCIntern]

By way of explanation, I'm in Penn State Central here in Philly.

"They shouldn'ta fired Joe Paterno. He wasn't the one molesting boys AND you know who's gonna get rich off this? The so-called 'victims' and the lawyers. That's all that's gonna happen here." (this must be coming from the hate radio or whatever...here 1210 AM, a station full of shitbags and gasbags.)

My response...measured silence (count to four: one...two...three...four) and then...

ME: You may or may not recall that I was raised by separated parents and lived solely with my Mom my entire life after age 5 1/2 (I do remark upon this often in my soliloquies to prove certain points - that I was from a single-patent family long before it was in vogue to be from one.). During that time I had to fend off several would-be attempts to 'seduce' me, fortunately none ever succeeded, but I will tell you that if one had, and there was a neighbor, co-worker, or 'friend' who did nothing to help me, I would have returned later in life with the equivalent of a Hillerich and Bradsby Louisville Slugger, OK? These PREDATORS prey upon those whose backgrounds are difficult and compromised and I was one of those kids in those days. (real upset) Anyone who was ever involved would not have gotten away with it, and neither should these creeps. Not for one...goddamned... minute... GOT IT?"

All folks to whom I've spoken like this get real uncomfortable, apologize, and I tell them that there is no necessity to apologize TO ME, but they had best better get their priorities straight or they and this world are in a whole lotta trouble.

And yes, THEY are the ones who expressed the opinions so I am within my rights to defend the proposition that underaged individuals are NOT 'participating' in order to get rich quick. Bastards all the way around.

[Dawson Leery]

1. Philadelphia is "Penn State Central?"

Would that not be Centre County?

[PCIntern]

3. No. The numbers of alumni here FAR outstrip Centre County, right?

We have about 4 and a half million people in the metropolitan area and an enormous percentage of those graduated or attended main campus or one of the satellites. and no, they don't get that many at PSU games...

[Fumesucker]

2. Wingnuts are *always* comfortable blabbing their opinions to everyone..

Good on you for giving them an earful and something to think about.

[whathehell]

4. Good for you for straightening them out. n/t

[aquart]

5. Well done!

You said what they needed to hear.

[MedleyMisty]

6. My father died when I had just turned seven

One of my mother's subsequent boyfriends molested me.

Thank you.

And yes, that's why I generally hide all the Penn State (and porn) threads. Glad I looked at this one, though.

[enough]

7. There's some deep need to despise the weak, to hate the unfortunate, blame the victim,

all of that. I can only think that it comes from a deep sense of inner precariousness and danger. You feel so frightened and threatened within yourself that you can't stand to relate to someone in any kind of trouble -- it's just too terrifying. Our current politics has raised this to an article of faith: if you are unfortunate in any way, God must hate you and you are unworthy of help from your fellow humans.

[PCIntern]

8. I know what you mean, but

screw them for doing so. I think they're just shitheads, plain and simple.

[enough]

21. Well that's another way to put it! (nt)

[SpiralHawk]

10. Republicons always blame the people they have trashed

Honor is not among their so-called Republicon Family Values. They weasel out of all responsibilities -- why so many are bona fide chickenhawks and tax shirkers.

[Sal Minella]

18. I was first aware of this syndrome under Reagan -- he felt that the

good and Godly would all be rewarded (as he and Nancy had been) for leading lives better than those of most people (and therefore, wealth was the reward.)

This allowed him to believe that the impoverished must have offended God somehow, and their poverty was divine punishment for their transgressions. Reagan never said this in so many words, but the belief shone through several of his statements.

[tishaLA]

9. I'm sorta surprised. I've been listening to WIP this week and last...

and there has been NO support of Paterno that I've heard from any of the hosts, and very little from the listeners. In fact, Andy Reid probably has more support than Paterno, and Reid has almost no support among the idiots on that station.

[Fuzz]

11. Heard some Rush today on the way to the dentist (heh).

He said that msnbc was running the Costos interview a lot because they are trying to smear a Republican. If he were a Democrat they wouldn't run the interview as much because Rush sees this as a political issue.

Fucking asshole.

[gratuitous]

12. You're a far better person than me

I'd wait until about three-quarters of the way into whatever procedure you're doing, then casually remark that I'm so glad the patient voiced his or her opinion about so-called victims and their lawyers. Because I've just done something unspeakable that will hideously deform the patient for life, but knowing that the patient doesn't believe in legal redress for such things, I'm confident that no lawsuit will ever be pursued. Oh, and be sure to see the receptionist on your way out, because there are going to be some additional charges for today that I don't think insurance will cover.

Be prepared for a sudden change of tune.

[GoCubsGo]

13. "So-called 'victims'"??? Jezus....

I'm seriously re-thinking my opposition to firing squads... What the fuck is wrong with these people? Why does it always become political???

[Demit]

14. Haters have to hate. And we have plenty of them in Phila, I'm sorry to say.

[lbrtbell]

16. Only a closet pedophile would say "so-called" victims - n/t

[PCIntern]

20. I have a lot of what I would at one time have called 'weirdos' in my practice...

it goes with the territory...

[girl gone mad]

15. So many people haven't got the first clue what the world is really like..

outside their limited plane of existence.

I lived in a low income area as a teenager. I witnessed men from the wealthy suburbs driving around in their luxury cars when school let out, trying to lure the young girls to trade sex for cash. Yes, men with money and/or power see poor kids as easy prey.

[redqueen]

17. Thank you for speaking up.

I wish I had your strength.

[customerserviceguy]

19. JoePa's had 46 years

to become an icon, it's not going to crumble in a couple of weeks. The folks you're talking to are simply in denial. Hopefully, they'll move on in the stages of grief.

[Laelth]

22. k&r for right action. n/t

-Laelth