I recently was asked, "Why are people freaking out over this one court case instead of all of the injustice that goes on with the system?"
Because survivors need something to hold onto.
Many survivors will never reach the peace they deserve regarding their assault. This changes the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of their lives. The fact that he even got jail time is of rare form, but hearing the reasons behind why it was so short was not adequate.
Because most survivors do not report their assaults.
Nothing is ever actually done about it, so what is the point? Why spend the money, go through the hell of reliving the assault over and over again when they will still walk around free anyway.
Because sexual assault and rape is not talked about.
Sexual assault and rape are like mental illness. People know that others suffer from it, but if it does not apply to their lives, they push it away. Talking about rape is uncomfortable, and it hurts, so people avoid it.
Because we support every survivor, this one just happened to go viral.
Every survivor deserves every ounce of support that people have to offer them. This girl has her story presented in front of the world yet remains anonymous. She is speaking for every woman. Every woman deserves to be treated with love and compassion, but, most importantly, she deserves to be told, "I believe you. This is not your fault." She deserves peace.
Because college campuses are getting away with not properly handling sexual assault cases.
If you have other questions, just watch "The Hunting Ground." Last time I heard, it was on Netflix.
Because rape needs to be taken seriously.
Rape is a very real thing, and way too many people have to deal with the challenges that come with it. This isn't something that is an easy fix, something you get over quickly. It is a constant battle forever. Triggers can happen sometimes, but not others. It wakes you from your sleep or worse, interferes with your dreams. It changes the way you walk around town, the way you are affectionate with others and relationships with family, friends and significant others.
Because we are tired of the injustice.
Too many people choose not to report rape because they know that nothing will be done about it. Why go through the pain of a rape kit, going through every agonizing detail repeatedly if the person that did it does not get proper consequences for the actions that they made. Rape victims do not usually feel supported by law enforcement and the legal system, so why let them into such a vulnerable event that is difficult to talk about?
Because they are scared he will get assaulted in jail and prevent that, but are not actively teaching people to not rape in general.
Why are we so scared of a rapist being raped? We focus on telling women to cover up, to not walk alone, to not drink too much instead of teaching everyone that rape should never happen and consent is completely necessary every time.
Because they are worried about his safety, but not hers.
We still have this problem of favoring the male and their story over the female's. We can't seem to accept that men actually do this terrible act every day and should be held accountable for their actions.
Because he still has no remorse.
He still does not understand what he did and why it hurt her so much. His story changes. He blames it on the alcohol. If he raped because of alcohol, it is seen as excusable, yet if she drank, she gets blamed for the whole thing. Rapists will continue to rape if they keep getting away with it.
Because his father called it "20 minutes of action."
This is where it makes more sense as to why he has no remorse. He has grown up in an entitled white household, so he assumes that he deserves anything he wants. If that is ruining another person, oh well, because he got "20 minutes of action."
Because it was bad enough to make a witness cry.
This cyclist was crying because it was so terrible to see. The survivor mentioned in her statement that she heard that Turner stated that he assumed she liked it because she rubbed his back. Of course, this was after finding out she has no memory of the entire night though. Whatever he was doing to her affected someone else in a negative way.
Because it hits home for all of us.
All of the advocates that are enraged by this court case are either survivors or know survivors. We have seen first-hand how sexual assault affects someone, and we know that she deserves peace.
Because it makes us lose our sense of safety.
She went out with her own sister and still ended up getting separated. Parties get crazy, and people get drunk, but there should never be a concern that she will get taken from the party and be assaulted, yet it continues to happen too often.
Because this is an everyday thing, but not many others can even get their cases to go to court.
Three percent of rapists actually see jail time. What is wrong with that statement?
Because they are more worried about his success and swimming record than giving him proper punishment.
This should terrify every one of us. This idea that someone can commit a felony and be charged as so, but get to walk because it could impact their successful future.
Because survivors are still being blamed.
Asked what they were wearing, how much they drank, assumed they were a tease.
Because women are still being shamed.
We are told to hide our bodies, that we cannot distract the boys. It is our job to do everything in our being to avoid a guy ever assaulting us.
Because sexual assault happens to both men and women everyday, yet nothing is being done to change the system.
This is not just a women's issue. This is a worldwide issue where people think they are entitled to another's body. Start teaching everyone that it is not OK to rape. Start teaching young ones about consent and why it is so important.
This needs to be talked about. Survivors need to feel comfortable reporting their assaults. Survivors should never be blamed or shamed. Something needs to be done because this is such a big deal.
We will not remain silent about sexual assault.
Survivors, I believe you. I support you. I hope you get justice. I hope
you feel safe again. I hope you can trust men again. You're doing great; you are loved. I hope you find peace.
*I know this post is mainly geared toward men raping women, but I do recognize many men get raped as well. I used these terms because they relate to the court case as such.*
