It sounds to me as though the mind set now is "Let's smear Joe. He can't stop us now." Mr. Paterno was not an eyewitness to any molestation by Jerry Sandusky. Mr. Paterno was told about it by a 3rd party - hearsay. He took what he had been told & reported to those higher up in the chain of command, trusting that they would do the right thing and report it to the police.
Could Mr. Paterno have done more? He should have followed up to make sure the superiors he reported the incident to had notified the police. I do not believe Mr. Paterno would be party to a cover up, ever. He was a very smart man and would have realized that trying to hide the facts would only make things worse. Stop trying to smear JoPa.

Why is the familes and the police not being smeared. They all knew this. Were they threatened or paid off or just talked out of it?

I think it's so interesting that the 24 votes so far are split right down the middle.

It should stand as a reminder that everyone is not what they appear to be.

Do any of those who support Joe have children? How might your feelings change if a child of yours was a victim of Mr. Sandusky, knowing that Mr. Paterno knew something he hadn't shared with you? How would you have reacted if you knew what Mr. Paterno did? With glory comes responsibility. It seems to me that old Joe dropped the ball at a time it meant the most. 

Let's include then Attorney General Corbett who was involved but felt there wasn't enough evidence to proceed. Why is he never mentioned?

The fact that the public thinks that the issue is Joe Paterno's reputation just proves that nothing has changed. Football still is more important to some people than it should be, and that's is what caused this mess in the first place. Joe Paterno's is not the victim here, the children were, and those who covered it up for the same of a game should be stripped of any honor since they obviously didn't have any when it counted.

A statute of small children playing happily would be a better one in its place, and a constant reminder that children are dear.

@jet Godfrey. The Freeh report shows that Joe Paterno was in discussion about how to handle this mess. He was the one those people in charge listened to. He had the power. It was joe Paterno who 'suggested' they not go to the higher authorities but confront Sandusky and give home the option to go to counseling. He knew what the accusations were, knew the law dictated his superiors report it, yet chose not to 'disgress' the school. Karma baby! His legacy is over. Please remember those boys who suffered for years due to the power Paterno had.

It seems like all the anger is directed at paterno and yes he does deserve his fair share maybe even more. but why is most of the anger directed at him and not at the school president. Not at the athletic director. Not at the assistant coach and two janitors whom actually saw assaults taking place. Not at corbett or his investigators. Not at the parents that knew. not even at the monster himself Jerry sandusky!!!! Yes Paterno made a horrible mistake and was far from being a saint. He put his football program ahead of the children and that should never be forgotten. But he was a good football coach, maybe thats all his statue should remind people of!!

Death Penalty the entire program for 1 year eliminate scholarships for 2 years after that, remove the statue and take the Paterno name off the library

an example must be made that this sort of behavior has consequences

Thomas Jefferson and George Washington had many slaves and Martin Luther King was no saint. The people who want to topple the Paterno statue could probally make a good case for tearing down the Washington monument or the Jefferson memorial or Martin Luther King statues. And no im not comparing paterno to any of these great men. Im just saying how about remembering people for the good things they did and try to learn from their mistakes so we dont repeat them and move on. So years from now when people look at the statue they can think yes he was a good football coach who won a lot of games. But when they think about what he did it will remind them that it is important to do the right thing every time. so maybe letting it stand is not a bad idea.

The only death penalty that should be considered should be for Jerry Sandusky. A death penalty for the football program would just hurt and punish more innocent people, isnt that what we wish would have never happend in the first place. Two wrongs dont make a right. And no, i am not a penn state fan blinded by loyalty. I root for Nortre Dame. Go Irish!!!!

The anger IS being directed at Spaino, Curley, etc. They will most likely be going to jail for their mistakes. They still have a pending trial. They aren't being given a free pass. Paterno has been put on a pedestool, which is how PennState got themselves into all this trouble. The tip of the iceberg has not yet been touched. More will fall.

To take down the statue now would go against the American principal of innocent until proven quilty. If everyone is upset with Joe's actions as presented so far, cover the statue in a protective enclosure until all the facts are considered and brought out in court.
Then depending on the outcome, remove the enclosure and leave it up, if the current uproar proves false. If true and it is justified to take it down, return the statue to the sculptor who put his hard work into it and let him do with it as he wishes.
Based on the current info, the fairest action, to prevent penalizing the innocent would be that the Penn State football program goes ahead this year so that the current players aren't penalized, but so that the school feels the impact of their inaction, all proceeds from the football program including sale of any momentos, souvenirs, etc. this year ((or longer) be put into a program that deals with the prevention of child abuse, rather than going to the Penn State athletic program.

If Joe Paterno was such a humble role model, why did he have a statue erected while he was still coaching? Usually statues are put up after the person dies to honor them.
If Penn State would have waited, this would not even be an issue. I say, "Take it down !". The school community needs to move on and not have a constant reminder of the scandal.

No way should it be removed! He was and will always be an icon of Penn State. The real criminal is in jail. Let it go already.

Crimes against children are inexcusable and deserve the harshest punishment. Penn State would be best served in the long term by removing all traces related to this scandal.
This went on for 14+ years. There is also evidence of non-related incidents where Paterno protected players from being punished for criminal behavior (assault).
Personally I see absolutely no difference in Sandusky committing these horrible acts and the football program and school not acting on their knowledge. Their inaction enabled Sandusky to continue to use the football program and facilities to lure his victims. 14 years... and potentially now more coming forward from even earlier. The entire system was at fault, not just Paterno, but DO NOT make excuses for him. He was equally guilty as the other particpants. If Spanier, Curley, or Schultz has statues I would say remove them as well.....

Be prepared for the worst in regards to the football program. This is epic failure of institutional control... the fact that the NCAA has already publicly said they would consider the death penalty is a pretty good bet it may occur. This isn't players getting paid or illegal benefits. This was an institution covering up criminal activities of the highest magnitude. The financial impact to PSU and the Big Ten would be significant, but I don't think the NCAA will want to be seen as soft on this.

Obviously just my opinion.....

No Penn State football for 14 years.... then start back up at division III

I think I have the solution. Move the statue to the locker room with Joe facing the entrance to the shower. That way he can still be there to inspire the players, but at the same time he wil be a reminder that abuse of anyone is wrong, will get you in trouble and should not be tolerated.

Statue has to go and bill the Paterno estate for the service...It is a shame his nice legacy ends up this way...Let this be a lesson to all who value self more than the vulnerable.

HA! THE STATUE IS GONE! Penn State may now move on to repair itself. Hopefully, the football program will receive a suspension (for a year or two). Let it be a lesson to other institutions with "revered" sports programs to keep them in check.