Okay so I'm super tired of seeing things about this and I'm sure everyone else is too, but I have some strong opinions about this issue and I need to get them out. I'm going to talk about the 'Stanford rape case'.
If you haven't heard the story, 20 year old (ex) Stanford swimmer Brock Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman behind a dumpster on campus while she was unconscious in January of 2015. I honestly hadn't started hearing about the case until recently, when Turner was sentenced to six months in jail. Six months. For rape. I keep seeing new headlines and reading more that angers me, so I'm going to write about it.
1. The judge gave him *six* months
The maximum sentence length for rape in California is 14 years. The prosecutor recommended at least 6 years for Turner, but what did the judge give him? Only six months. Not. Even. A. Year. Judge Aaron Persky said Turner's age and lack of criminal history made him feel a six-month jail sentence with probation was appropriate. This means that he'll probably get out of jail in about 3 months with good behavior. I imagine part of the judge's decision was also based on the disturbing leniency pleas he received from Turner's parents which I will talk about later.
Persky said "A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others". I'm pretty sure a prison sentence is MEANT to have SOME sort of impact. That is why they are given. A "severe" crime calls for a "severe" punishment, and RAPE is a pretty severe crime; why else would the maximum sentence be more than a decade?? The RAPE had a severe impact on his victim, so why is all the focus on what impact the proper punishment would have on him? Are we supposed to care? Oh yeah, just like he "cared" for a helpless, unconscious HUMAN BEING, right?
So here we have a white male Ivy League star athlete getting one of the lightest possible sentences for sexual assault. So I guess his star status entitles him to leniency? Wow. This judge has done a bang-up job of sending the message that rape is against the law regardless of social class, race, gender, etc. And since we're on this topic, here's an article about an African-American man who committed the same crime as Turner but has to serve a minimum of 15 to 25 years in prison, if you're interested in how race still affects sentencing.
**UPDATE as of 8/1/16** He's going to be released earlier than expected: September 2!! Not even a full 3 months.
Persky said "A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others". I'm pretty sure a prison sentence is MEANT to have SOME sort of impact. That is why they are given. A "severe" crime calls for a "severe" punishment, and RAPE is a pretty severe crime; why else would the maximum sentence be more than a decade?? The RAPE had a severe impact on his victim, so why is all the focus on what impact the proper punishment would have on him? Are we supposed to care? Oh yeah, just like he "cared" for a helpless, unconscious HUMAN BEING, right?
So here we have a white male Ivy League star athlete getting one of the lightest possible sentences for sexual assault. So I guess his star status entitles him to leniency? Wow. This judge has done a bang-up job of sending the message that rape is against the law regardless of social class, race, gender, etc. And since we're on this topic, here's an article about an African-American man who committed the same crime as Turner but has to serve a minimum of 15 to 25 years in prison, if you're interested in how race still affects sentencing.
**UPDATE as of 8/1/16** He's going to be released earlier than expected: September 2!! Not even a full 3 months.
2. He blamed alcohol, surprise surprise
Both Turner and the victim were apparently drunk at the time of the incident with the victim being so drunk (3 times the legal limit) that she was unconscious, and that's what he blamed his actions on. Rape culture. Whoop, there it is. How many times do people have to be reminded that ALCOHOL IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE FOR COMMITTING ANY CRIME. He showed more remorse about drinking too much alcohol than he did about the actual rape. In her statement, the victim said, “Regretting drinking is not the same as regretting sexual assault. We were both drunk; the difference is I did not take off your pants and underwear, touch you inappropriately and run away.”
No means no. Drunk means no. Passed out means no.
No means no. Drunk means no. Passed out means no.
3. His Dad wrote a nice little letter (read the whole thing here)
This guy's dad wrote a letter DEFENDING his son's actions and it is disgusting. He started off by telling the judge that his son was "truly sorry" and blah blah and then talks about how humble and gentle his son is and how dedicated to academics he is. All of the usual points to attempt to gather sympathy and shift everyone's focus away from the real problem. Now I will give my thoughts on the end of the letter by pulling a few lines from it:
"As it stands now, Brock's life has been completely altered forever...He will never be his happy-go-lucky self..."
WELL I imagine so! What he did is irreversible and maybe he should have thought about that before HE changed HIS OWN life in this way. Of course he won't be "happy-go-lucky" anymore. Not after his picture and story is plastered over every TV and media outlet and people start to recognize him. Not after he registers as a sex offender. That's what happens when you RAPE someone; you live with the consequences.
"His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear, and depression. You can see this in his face, the way he walks, his weakened voice, his lack of appetite."
Oh that's kinda funny, because all of that sounds exactly like the types of emotions and feelings that a victim might express. Are you trying to say that your son is the real victim here? Sure sounds like it.
"These verdicts have broken and shattered him and our family in so many ways. His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."
A STEEP PRICE FOR '20 MINUTES OF ACTION'?!?! Another example of rape culture--this guy refers to and downplays the rape his son committed as a mere '20 MINUTES OF ACTION'. I feel like that statement is almost more degrading to the victim (and all other victims of any sexual assault) than the actual assault. Disgusting. For the victim, it wasn't just 20 minutes, it's the rest of her life, too.
"The fact that he now has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work, and how he will be able to interact with people and organizations."
Well, yeah, that's what RAPISTS have to do. It's called "the law", and it applies to all of us, in case you forgot.
"What I know as his father is that incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock. He has no prior criminal history and has never been violent to anyone including his actions on the night of Jan 17th 2015."
Brock is a rapist. Rapists are supposed to spend time in prison. Incarceration is the appropriate punishment, no exception. Oh, and you being his father means you have the right to even begin to have a say in what his punishment should be? HA! Hellooo, that's why we let unbiased juries make the ultimate ruling and not you. And being a first-time offender does not mean he deserves a lighter sentence. People should be punished to fit the crime they committed no matter what. First-time murderers don't get off free if they have no criminal or violent past, do they? Didn't think so.
"As it stands now, Brock's life has been completely altered forever...He will never be his happy-go-lucky self..."
WELL I imagine so! What he did is irreversible and maybe he should have thought about that before HE changed HIS OWN life in this way. Of course he won't be "happy-go-lucky" anymore. Not after his picture and story is plastered over every TV and media outlet and people start to recognize him. Not after he registers as a sex offender. That's what happens when you RAPE someone; you live with the consequences.
"His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear, and depression. You can see this in his face, the way he walks, his weakened voice, his lack of appetite."
Oh that's kinda funny, because all of that sounds exactly like the types of emotions and feelings that a victim might express. Are you trying to say that your son is the real victim here? Sure sounds like it.
"These verdicts have broken and shattered him and our family in so many ways. His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."
A STEEP PRICE FOR '20 MINUTES OF ACTION'?!?! Another example of rape culture--this guy refers to and downplays the rape his son committed as a mere '20 MINUTES OF ACTION'. I feel like that statement is almost more degrading to the victim (and all other victims of any sexual assault) than the actual assault. Disgusting. For the victim, it wasn't just 20 minutes, it's the rest of her life, too.
"The fact that he now has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work, and how he will be able to interact with people and organizations."
Well, yeah, that's what RAPISTS have to do. It's called "the law", and it applies to all of us, in case you forgot.
"What I know as his father is that incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock. He has no prior criminal history and has never been violent to anyone including his actions on the night of Jan 17th 2015."
Brock is a rapist. Rapists are supposed to spend time in prison. Incarceration is the appropriate punishment, no exception. Oh, and you being his father means you have the right to even begin to have a say in what his punishment should be? HA! Hellooo, that's why we let unbiased juries make the ultimate ruling and not you. And being a first-time offender does not mean he deserves a lighter sentence. People should be punished to fit the crime they committed no matter what. First-time murderers don't get off free if they have no criminal or violent past, do they? Didn't think so.
4. Oh, and his mom wrote one, too
"This verdict has destroyed us."
Um, no, your son destroyed everything as soon as he took advantage of an unconscious young woman behind a dumpster in the dirt. The verdict reached was entirely fair. He made a decision at some point, and he needs to take full responsibility for it. That's justice.
"He is crushed that the jury ruled against him."
Ok?? The evidence says he raped someone, and he's still "crushed" about the ruling, like it was a surprise? What was he expecting? Oh, right, to get off free because he thinks he has privilege and whatnot. That makes total sense.
“Brock will have to register at the highest tier [as a sex offender] which means he is on the same level as a pedophile/child molester. There is no differentiation. The public records will reflect a Tier 3 so people will wrongly assume he is a child molester.”
Yeah, you're right--there is no differentiation. Both a rapist and a child molester belong at the highest tier. What they do is extremely dehumanizing. Would you rather people wrongly assume that he's innocent?
Um, no, your son destroyed everything as soon as he took advantage of an unconscious young woman behind a dumpster in the dirt. The verdict reached was entirely fair. He made a decision at some point, and he needs to take full responsibility for it. That's justice.
"He is crushed that the jury ruled against him."
Ok?? The evidence says he raped someone, and he's still "crushed" about the ruling, like it was a surprise? What was he expecting? Oh, right, to get off free because he thinks he has privilege and whatnot. That makes total sense.
“Brock will have to register at the highest tier [as a sex offender] which means he is on the same level as a pedophile/child molester. There is no differentiation. The public records will reflect a Tier 3 so people will wrongly assume he is a child molester.”
Yeah, you're right--there is no differentiation. Both a rapist and a child molester belong at the highest tier. What they do is extremely dehumanizing. Would you rather people wrongly assume that he's innocent?
Parents cannot and should not even try to defend their adult children's behavior. Brock Turner is 20, he makes his own decisions, and he sure as heck needs to be held accountable for them if they cause harm to others. I understand you having unconditional love and support for your son or whatever, but trying to defend a crime that he committed is wrong on all levels. Just because your son is your son doesn't mean he can evade the law when you try to act like HE'S the victim when he clearly is nowhere near it.
5. childhood friend leslie Rasmussen blames everything but him
"I don’t think it’s fair to base the fate of the next ten + years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn’t remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him."
Hm well I don't think it's fair to BLAME the VICTIM for the decision TURNER made to RAPE her.
"I am not blaming her directly for this, because that isn’t right."
BUT YOU'RE STILL BLAMING HER, NONETHELESS.
"Rape on campuses isn’t always because people are rapists."
HAHA WHAT?! Yes it is! Without rapists, there would be no rape; rapists are LITERALLY the ONLY cause of rape.
"I think it is disgusting and I am so sick of hearing that these young men are monsters when really, you are throwing barely 20-somethings into these camp-like university environments, supporting partying, and then your mind is blown when things get out of hand."
I think it is disgusting and I am so sick of hearing all these lame excuses for why rape occurs. Partying. Does. Not. Cause. Rape.
"This is completely different from a woman getting kidnapped and raped as she is walking to her car in a parking lot. That is a rapist."
Seriously--WHAT? So since Turner didn't technically kidnap his victim, it means he isn't a 'true' rapist? Brock Turner raped someone. THAT is a rapist.
"These are not rapists. These are idiot boys and girls having too much to drink and not being aware of their surroundings and having clouded judgement."
NEWSFLASH: people who rape ARE rapists. It isn't anyone's responsibility to not get raped; it's EVERYONE'S responsibility to not be a rapist. Again, drinking and 'having clouded judgement' are not valid excuses for rape--there are NO valid excuses for rape. Ever.
"I’m not saying that is every case because I know there are young men that take advantage of young women and vice versa, but I know for a fact that Brock is not one of those people. He is respectful and caring, talented, and smart enough to know better."
He took advantage of a young woman. He IS one of those people. He clearly wasn't being respectful or caring or smart at all. All rapists are 'smart enough to know better', but that doesn't grant them leniency in ANY case.
"I would not be writing this letter if I had any doubt in my mind that he is innocent."
INNOCENT?! There is evidence to prove that Brock Turner RAPED a woman, and you are still going to try to say he couldn't have done such a thing? Just because he was 'sweet' and well-liked doesn't mean he is not a rapist. What world are these people living in? Obviously one that they think should excuse rape. How disgusting.
I know it's a little late to be saying all of this because it looks like the judge took these pleas into account after all, but I had to point out how disturbing and ridiculous they were. And doesn't the fact that the judge actually went along with them in a way make it all the more disturbing? The victim wasn't mentioned in the parents' pleas at all, like she doesn't even matter in this situation. I read that many jurors are now refusing to serve in his court because of the light sentence he gave, and I completely support them. A judge should act in the victim's favor in a situation like this, and this particular one certainly didn't. That is appalling.
Turner's sister also said, "Think of the extraordinary potential he has to be a voice in society and speak out against the binge drinking and sexual promiscuity that defines culture on college campuses," which is something his dad and other family members kept reiterating as well. Like he deserves to be the one talking about that. Like all of that is more important than the rape he committed and the woman he violated.
STOP SHIFTING THE FOCUS AWAY FROM THE RAPE, AWAY FROM THE REAL VICTIM.
Oh no, please don't send our son/brother/grandson to prison. He doesn't deserve that. He deserves a happy life. Don't send him to prison, that's too harsh for him.
Well have I got some news: Rape is rape. End of story.
The real victim deserves happiness. Her life sentence of humiliation and degradation is much harsher than the rapist getting a piddly little six months or less.
Hm well I don't think it's fair to BLAME the VICTIM for the decision TURNER made to RAPE her.
"I am not blaming her directly for this, because that isn’t right."
BUT YOU'RE STILL BLAMING HER, NONETHELESS.
"Rape on campuses isn’t always because people are rapists."
HAHA WHAT?! Yes it is! Without rapists, there would be no rape; rapists are LITERALLY the ONLY cause of rape.
"I think it is disgusting and I am so sick of hearing that these young men are monsters when really, you are throwing barely 20-somethings into these camp-like university environments, supporting partying, and then your mind is blown when things get out of hand."
I think it is disgusting and I am so sick of hearing all these lame excuses for why rape occurs. Partying. Does. Not. Cause. Rape.
"This is completely different from a woman getting kidnapped and raped as she is walking to her car in a parking lot. That is a rapist."
Seriously--WHAT? So since Turner didn't technically kidnap his victim, it means he isn't a 'true' rapist? Brock Turner raped someone. THAT is a rapist.
"These are not rapists. These are idiot boys and girls having too much to drink and not being aware of their surroundings and having clouded judgement."
NEWSFLASH: people who rape ARE rapists. It isn't anyone's responsibility to not get raped; it's EVERYONE'S responsibility to not be a rapist. Again, drinking and 'having clouded judgement' are not valid excuses for rape--there are NO valid excuses for rape. Ever.
"I’m not saying that is every case because I know there are young men that take advantage of young women and vice versa, but I know for a fact that Brock is not one of those people. He is respectful and caring, talented, and smart enough to know better."
He took advantage of a young woman. He IS one of those people. He clearly wasn't being respectful or caring or smart at all. All rapists are 'smart enough to know better', but that doesn't grant them leniency in ANY case.
"I would not be writing this letter if I had any doubt in my mind that he is innocent."
INNOCENT?! There is evidence to prove that Brock Turner RAPED a woman, and you are still going to try to say he couldn't have done such a thing? Just because he was 'sweet' and well-liked doesn't mean he is not a rapist. What world are these people living in? Obviously one that they think should excuse rape. How disgusting.
I know it's a little late to be saying all of this because it looks like the judge took these pleas into account after all, but I had to point out how disturbing and ridiculous they were. And doesn't the fact that the judge actually went along with them in a way make it all the more disturbing? The victim wasn't mentioned in the parents' pleas at all, like she doesn't even matter in this situation. I read that many jurors are now refusing to serve in his court because of the light sentence he gave, and I completely support them. A judge should act in the victim's favor in a situation like this, and this particular one certainly didn't. That is appalling.
Turner's sister also said, "Think of the extraordinary potential he has to be a voice in society and speak out against the binge drinking and sexual promiscuity that defines culture on college campuses," which is something his dad and other family members kept reiterating as well. Like he deserves to be the one talking about that. Like all of that is more important than the rape he committed and the woman he violated.
STOP SHIFTING THE FOCUS AWAY FROM THE RAPE, AWAY FROM THE REAL VICTIM.
Oh no, please don't send our son/brother/grandson to prison. He doesn't deserve that. He deserves a happy life. Don't send him to prison, that's too harsh for him.
Well have I got some news: Rape is rape. End of story.
The real victim deserves happiness. Her life sentence of humiliation and degradation is much harsher than the rapist getting a piddly little six months or less.
6. Even The prosecutor said something interesting
“[Turner] may not look like a rapist,” prosecutor Alaleh Kianerci told the jury during closing arguments, “but he is the face of campus sexual assault.”
OH REALLY? What does a rapist look like, then? How do you tell the difference between what a rapist looks like and what a "normal person" looks like? Oh, right, YOU CAN'T, because they all look the freaking SAME.
OH REALLY? What does a rapist look like, then? How do you tell the difference between what a rapist looks like and what a "normal person" looks like? Oh, right, YOU CAN'T, because they all look the freaking SAME.
This link has a bunch of information about the case and the outrage surrounding the sentence, but the most important thing is the continuing trauma that the victim has had to endure even after she found out she had been assaulted. She decided at the hospital, "I don't want my body anymore. I was terrified of it, I didn't know what had been in it, if it had been contaminated, who had touched it. I wanted to take off my body like a jacket and leave it at the hospital with everything else."
Anyway, if you just skimmed through this whole thing, the big takeaways are that
1. Rape is rape | "Assault is not an accident." ~Unnamed victim
2. The punishment given does not fit the crime
3. Rape culture and white privilege are still very real
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on this terrible chain of events. Sadly this case happens to be a perfect example of rape culture, as well as white male privilege, and I think the only way to get rid of these problems is to start conversations. We need to get to the core and destroy the idea that leniency should be given to the rapist just because he had a promising future or seems like a "good person".
I'm not going to apologize for this downer of a post, but I will say you can look forward to happier ones very soon. :)
~Say Love <3
Anyway, if you just skimmed through this whole thing, the big takeaways are that
1. Rape is rape | "Assault is not an accident." ~Unnamed victim
2. The punishment given does not fit the crime
3. Rape culture and white privilege are still very real
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on this terrible chain of events. Sadly this case happens to be a perfect example of rape culture, as well as white male privilege, and I think the only way to get rid of these problems is to start conversations. We need to get to the core and destroy the idea that leniency should be given to the rapist just because he had a promising future or seems like a "good person".
I'm not going to apologize for this downer of a post, but I will say you can look forward to happier ones very soon. :)
~Say Love <3