It isn’t every day that journalists discuss the nature of goodness, but that is just what is going on in response to the child rape scandal at Penn State University. The New York Times’ Ross Douthat and The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle have both written about whether those involved in the scandal can still be considered good, even as they failed to stop the sexual predator in their midst.
Meanwhile, over the Internet, bloggers like Rob Taylor are taking apart these arguments and excuses and demanding that someone stand up for the true definition of goodness.
Many defend Penn State Coach Joe Paterno while others do not.
The point is that defining goodness isn’t usually considered newsworthy. These days it is. Perhaps it shouldn’t take such a revolting story to raise the issue in the first place.