As crazy as it may sound, I believe Penn Staters feel toward Joe Paterno exactly as Virginia students feel toward Mr. Jefferson. I understand why Penn Staters are so loyal, so defensive, so proud.
Before you think I'm insane, which I may be here, let me clarify a few things.
Thomas Jefferson is not on the same plane or in the same league in American history as Joe Paterno. I get that. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, made the Louisiana Purchase, sent Lewis and Clark off exploring. He was a Founding Father. Joe Paterno was a football coach.
But when it comes to the University of Virginia, Jefferson is similar in some ways to Paterno. In his 70s, Jefferson founded the university and served as its first rector. But more than that, he literally designed its glorious buildings and grounds, and upon death, wanted to be remembered in his epitaph not as third president of the United States but as author of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the University of Virginia.
As students at Virginia, we always referred to him as Mr. Jefferson, and in a very real sense he was still a living presence there.
Everyone knew that Jefferson was an imperfect man. He may have written, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . .." But he owned slaves, and likely fathered children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves.
But at the University of Virginia, we revered him for the good he did, for the gifts he gave us. It was only human nature to do this. We did not excuse the bad he did. But it did not outweigh the good or diminish it. It made him human.
And as I wandered about Penn State last weekend, I had the same feeling about Joe Paterno. I understood why people love him so and defend him, why they feel he was so horribly wronged and why his legacy will likely survive and thrive.
