Yes, it is yet another female rightfully enraged at the early release of Stanford's own Brock Turner. Just for starters I will provide some of the headlines that have highlighted his early release from prison.
"Stanford Swimmer Brock Turner to Be Released from Jail" -TIME.com
"Martha Stewart served more jail time than former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner" -USA TODAY
"Brock Turner released after 3 months in jail" -CNN
And that is just a few which so lightly (or not at all, honestly) refer to his prison sentence and release. And to follow you will see a few more headlines which are a bit more appropriate for the situation.
"Stanford Rapist Brock Turner Officially Out Of Jail" -Cosmopolitan
"Trash Can & Rapist Brock Turner Has Been Released From Jail: How Him & His Family Are Awful" -Affinity Magazine
"What's next for Stanford sexual assault convict Brock Turner now that he's free?" -People Magazine
Now for those of you who may have missed out, Brock Turner raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster only to be caught by two bystanders; one of which was brought to tears when recounting the event. Prosecutors asked for six years for Turner, but he was sentenced to a measly 6 months, and look at this, only served three months of his sentence. Turner was released on good behavior. I wonder how good you have to be to get away with raping an unconscious woman until she is bleeding? What do you do to make up for the fact that you stole someone's sense of comfort and safety?
For my first issue with this case, let's just talk about the fact that in numerous headlines he was referred to as an "All-American Athlete" or "Stanford Swimmer" and so many news reporters failed to call him what he truly is, a rapist, a monster, a thief, need I go on? Why was it so easy for the mainstream media to highlight his accomplishments with his yearbook photo rather than present him like the violent criminal he is? I am outraged at the ability of entire groups to overlook the raw and terrible actions of this individual because of what? His sports history? Big-f*c^ing-whoop. You can swim across the Atlantic Ocean with your hands behind your back, Brock Turner, but to me you will always be a rapist who got the easy way out.
To address another issue: the minimum punishment for sexual assault is two years in a state prison. But wait, Brock Turner was only sentenced what? Oh yeah, six freaking months. Now, I have studied this trial and the backlash received by the sentencing judge, Aaron Persky, which is more than deserved. Many articles I have read state that Persky claimed to be "fair to both sides." Well, Mr. Persky, this next question is for you; how well did that six month sentence show fairness to both sides? What would you say to this woman who was traumatized by this monster when she found out that her attacker was being set free? What would you tell your daughter if she was the one who was attacked? I'm sure all of these questions would be met with the utmost defensive demeanor as well as countless excuses, because when you make a sentence that lenient, there is something else going on that the rest of the world has missed. You had eye-witness accounts, and not just one, two, not to mention a victim describing her experiences in detail, but of course three against one isn't fair so you had to take Brock's side, right? WRONG.
Now in reference to Brock's father. I understand that no parent wants to believe that their child is capable of such disturbing actions, I can almost understand a little bit of hesitation to accept the truth. But when the truth is right in front of your face and you state that your rapist son was being harshly punished for "20 minutes of action," that my friend, is where I draw the line. I do not care how good of a student your son was, Mr. Turner, I do not care how well he swam or what awards he was given, I do not care if his lifestyle had to be drastically changed, your son stole all women's sense of safety. I'm not sorry he had to miss out on his rib-eye steaks, but I am sorry that he is allowed back into the public to allow more fear to be instilled in the female population of this country. I do not care how much money you have or how much you think you deserve because of that money, your son is a monster and deserved a harsh punishment. That woman did not get off easy when it came to your sons actions, so why should your son be let off so easy?
Approximately 1.8 million adolescents have been the victim of sexual assault. Every 109 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted (that's more than 10 just in the time it's taken me to write this). Just during Brock Turner's time in jail, an estimated 75,000 women have experienced some form of sexual assault. Does that make you uncomfortable? IT SHOULD. Do you know how many sexual assaults go unreported? It is estimated at 54%, over half of rapes go unreported. Do you know why they go unreported? There are many different reasons for the lack of reports when it comes to rape and sexual assault, many of them coming back to the strenuous and traumatizing events that a woman is forced to go through just to get their own justice. The LOW estimate of the amount of women raped within one year is 300,000 and as sickening as that may be, the HIGH estimate? It's closer to 1.3 million. The United States is ranked 13 in the world when it comes to rape and a woman's chance of being raped in the United States is ONE IN FIVE. Out of all my closest friends, one of us is likely to experience sexual assault. And for the blissfully ignorant ones out there who truly believe that a woman's body will shut down during a sexual assault, the actual chance of that is 0 in 3.2 billion. There is no bodily defense against rape, there is nothing that a person can do to stop it once it is happening, especially if they are unconscious like the victim of Brock Turner.
So let me ask the public, do these facts make you cringe? They should. But don't sit in your computer chair or scroll on your smartphone after seeing the magnitude of this tragedy. Be a voice of reason in this world of evil, be the support to the victims that don't have a voice that is seen as worthy to be heard. As much as you don't want to believe it, there is someone near and dear to you who has suffered from sexual assault or rape. Stand up for your sisters, your daughters and friends. It is not the clothing they wear, it is not the alcohol they drink, it is not the lifestyle they live. It is not their fault.
There is no one to blame for rape, but a rapist himself. Stand against him together. Put an end to the statistics.