Despite protests from people who think football is more important than reporting the sexual abuse of children, Joe Paterno's statue was removed from Penn State.

This follows Louis Freeh's damning report that Paterno knew Jerry Sandusky was raping children but did nothing to stop it.

Penn State President Rodney Erickson said the statue was being moved to a "secure location."

I now believe that, contrary to its original intention, Coach Paterno's statue has become a source of division and an obstacle to healing in our university and beyond. I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse.

While removing Paterno's statue doesn't undo a shameful history of abuse, it does represent a significant step forward for Penn State.

Expect to hear plenty of whining from Paterno defenders who don't understand why "one mistake" takes away from the coach's legacy. But as David Clohessy, spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, put it, "We as a society must learn that a good way to deter child sex cover-ups is to punish, not praise, those who instigate such cover-ups."

[Image via AP/John Beale]