Everyone and their mother has heard about #BrockTurner the famed swimming star who just so happens to be a criminal/terrible person/rapist. If you haven't heard all of the glorious details, grab a glass of sweet tea and let me catch you up so we have a chat about an extremely sensitive topic.

In January of last year, a 19-year-old male decided that it was a great idea to sexually assault a girl that he didn't know behind a dumpster. He was caught, and that same night, she was in the hospitalized.

About a year and a half later he has been sentenced to six months in prison, but will be serving three months. (Because that's how time out works, right?) His father wrote a statement to the court that included his reasoning for Brock getting probation over jail time.

Here's a selection from Mr. Turner's statement, and my favorite section of the nearly 2-page document.

The excuses for his son include: his son's lack of personality, depression, anxiety, fear, lack of appetite, and familial discord and dysfunction.

The "positives" for probation, rather than jail time, include: contributing to society, and his newfound commitment to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity.

Let me begin with saying the excuses are just that: lackluster excuses to cover Brock's tail because he got caught doing something he shouldn't have.

Also, that girl should be glad that he's got some kinda jail time. #BrockTurner actually got quite the sentencing for his "20 minutes of action." Compared to other rapists, he really got a hard deal.

But Alex, he only got six months.

But y'all, on the scale of 1-10 for harshness in sexual assault and rape cases, this is pretty high up on the chain because of the following:

1. The crime was reported.

2. Someone listened to the victim and believed them enough to do something about it.

3. The case went to trial.

4. The rapist actually got jail time.

Here's a picture detailing why this is so rare:

Mr. Turner excusing what Brock did doesn't do any good for anyone. Not young women, young men, older women, older men. No one. If one person can be excused from doing something wrong, then so should everyone else, right?

WRONG.

No one should be allowed to do what he did, but people do anyways. The question can no longer be "Why do we let this happen?" but "How do we educate and prevent it from happening again?"

A very bright friend of mine went to a conference and attended a seminar on the issue. When I asked how it went, and what she thought of this topic she responded,

"What disturbs me the most about the sexual assault and rape dialogue is that it seems [victims and allies] are the only ones talking about it. I believe that if we could capture a vast enough dialogue from the oppressive side it would shine an entirely new light on this pandemic, and hopefully educate the oppressors as to why they are the ones doing wrong.”

This stunned me, and I wasn't sure how to respond with anything other than, "WOW, you're so right."

So, if you're someone who has decided that taking someone's privacy, safety, dignity, and well-being is your calling, PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. This is what happens when someone is sexually assaulted. You steal their safety and security. You steal their confidence. You inflict anger, depression, rage, and sadness.

if you're someone who has experienced having their privacy, safety, dignity and well-being stolen from them, there are so many people who are with you, who will stand by you, and will care for you like you're our own.

This topic has hit so close to home, and here are just a few thoughts regarding sexual assault, and how to deal with this beast, from my friends.

These people are in the same demographic as #BrockTurner's victim: female college students.

"Anyone who has ever been a victim of sexual assault or rape needs to remember that it's not their fault. As someone who has been a victim of both, I tended to put the blame on myself. Was it something I was wearing? Was it the way I was acting? 'I should've removed myself from that situation.' Of course it wasn't my fault, but it's hard sometimes to remember that. It's also difficult to cope and get the help that you need to be able to even look at yourself in the mirror. Don't continue to be a victim. Stand back up and come out even stronger." -Former victim who's finding her own voice and strength

"It's not just people who are in questionable places late at night, or boys/girls who show too much skin, or those who are in relationships with a stereotypical "abuser". [Sexual assault]happens to all types of people. And I say "happens" and not "can happen" because it does - not can - happen every single day.” -Genuine and talented human being, who happens to be female.

“[People with power to give punishment]actually discourage people from reporting the crime, and if reported they will typically blame the victim back into hiding. There's not a huge support system for victims - especially those in college. I'm glad you're writing this! It's extremely important that these issues become common knowledge and to force the "higher ups" into action” -Strong woman in a position of leadership

These young women are the people who are in the largest group of victims of sexual assault- 16-25 year old collegiate women. People who want an education, and happen to be female. They're sadly overqualified to discuss this topic, but we need to continue the conversation.

We cannot afford to stop here. We cannot afford to let people harm other people. We have to continue to educate: to raise awareness about what sexual assault is, and that it is happening way more often than is reported. We have to teach our children and our peers the concepts of consent. And if my children ever decide to make decisions like #BrockTurner did, then Lord knows I'm not going to be writing them a get out of jail free card.

TLDR: A 19-year-old male decided that it was a great idea to sexually assault a girl that he didn't know behind a dumpster. He was caught, and that same night, she was hospitalized. He's getting away with it because he's a white male athlete in a privileged spot and they were both under the influence. His family and friends are now journaling about it.There's support for victims of sexual assault.