For one, I'm sorry I can't refer to you by name. I feel like I'm just as bad as the media when I call you that because you're more than just a victim or an "intoxicated unconscious woman". You're human. You're a woman just like me. I do, however, respect and admire your decision to remain anonymous as a message to society. You want your story to not just be attached to your name, but to represent all women. You want to show that it doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, you're human and you deserve respect and support which is exactly what you're getting. I guess I'm mainly writing this because I wanted to say that even though I don't know who you are, I'm supporting you. Your voice is not going unheard! Your unbreakable strength throughout all of this mess is inspiring. I know you didn't ask to be assaulted, to be thrust into the media and put through countless days of questioning, tears, pain, and suffering, but you have. In the face of it all, you've chosen to turn your situation into a lesson for our country, a wake-up call. Justice may not have been served in your case, but myself and others will continue to fight until it is. Your case has opened a lot of people's eyes to the true injustices that exist in our so-called "justice" system. Keep fighting on.

I want to spend the rest of this article talking about why this case has been so controversial and what needs to change as a society. I think the biggest controversy stems from the light sentence Brock Turner received. After being charged with three felonies and facing up to 14 years in prison, he only received six months and three years of probation. With a sentence like that, what kind of message are we sending? That sexual assault is not a big deal? A lot of victims never speak up against their attacker because it doesn't seem worth suffering through court just to have the person who assaulted them be let off with a slap on the wrist. It doesn't matter that he's a swimmer or that he goes to Stanford University, he sexually assaulted a woman and should get the same treatment as all other rapists. Sexual assault doesn't discriminate, and neither should our justice system.

Another part of this case that made it stand out was the letter written by the victim and read in court that was released. It tells of what she can remember from that dreadful night, how her life has changed since, and all of the hell she was put through. She gives examples of the questions she was asked, and how they tried to cast any sort of doubt that they could on what she had to say. Victim blaming is an issue that has become increasingly prevalent. This is yet another reason why people don't confront their attacker and take their case to court. They fear being blamed, of not being believed. Victims have been through enough, so why would we make them suffer more? We, as a society, need to stand by them in this time of hardship for them instead of trying to tear them down and find every reason to not believe them.

This case is and will continue to be controversial. Just as the victim refuses to allow her voice to be silenced, so should we. There are a lot of changes that need to be made in regards to sexual assault cases and how they're handled, and this case could be the turning point if we use our voices and fight for the change we want to see in the world.