University administrators have obviously received advice to consistently emphasize the phrase “move forward” in public commentary on anything Sandusky-related (occasionally combined with a denigration of “looking backward”). I understand the advantages of message discipline here, but I worry that a continued emphasis on ‘forward’ will prevent the community from doing the hard work needed to come to terms with the past. We don’t want the phrase “moving forward” to evoke an image of a person who stares straight ahead because they are afraid of what might be behind them.

This sort of work can be difficult, easily misunderstood, unpleasant, divisive, disorienting, incomplete, and extremely healthy and energizing.