As most of you know, Brock Turner is the convicted rapist who sexually assaulted an intoxicated an unconscious woman behind a dumpster in February of 2015. Turner was at first convicted to a ten year sentence, which dwindled down to a six year sentence, then to a six month sentence with three years of probation. After three months in jail, he went free. This, my friends, is great news.
First of all, this entire ordeal has brought much needed attention to rape culture. The term rape culture was coined in the 1970s by feminists who wanted “to show the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault and normalized male sexual violence.” The maximum sentence for rape in the United States is 14 years, and the average is 11.8 years, but Turner only spent 90 days in prison. 90 Days in prison and a few years of probation was this man’s punishment for violently sexually assaulting a woman who was unconscious, for scarring her both physically and emotionally, and for lying and claiming it was a mutual act. The public outcry for this injustice is so great that the attention to the prevalence of rape culture is getting more support than ever before. This case embodies the issue of dismissing rape as an accident and not taking it seriously, and the American people can see that this is a problem we cannot tolerate any longer.
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Second of all, it brought attention to mainstream media’s strong bias and influence over the public. You must have seen the news headline of the rape that referred to Turner as a “Stanford Swimmer” who had a “promising future” instead of a "Convicted Rapist." They continued to spin the stories to make Turner sound like the victim, and the sexually assaulted woman sound like she was asking for it. If this isn’t the perfect example of why rape culture needs more attention and support, then I don’t know what is. People are becoming more and more aware of how horrible and dangerous this bias stance can be and how damaging it is to the truth.
Brock Turner’s case not only brought attention to rape culture and media bias, but it actually inspired many other much needed changes in our world:
- Rape statistics have been shown to be widely inaccurate because of how low they are. Stanford students and many others are demanding more accurate statistics and easier ways to report sexual assault to side with the victims and ensure their safety and comfort.
- The public is requesting Judge Persky, who tried Turner's case, to be removed from the bench.
- AB 2888, a new California rape bill inspired by Turner’s case, ensures that rapists cannot be sentenced to probation.
- The new hashtag #shoutyourrape is allowing women and men to talk about their sexual assault experiences with support, not judgement.
It isn’t fair that Turner’s victim had to go through such awful events and acts, but she was the last piece rape culture needed to push the government and the public to make the necessary changes.
