I understand where you're coming from, Malory Rush, but you have no right. Your article "Prayer for Brock Turner" is highly offensive in that it's extremely inconsiderate.
Praying for Brock Turner and apologizing to him are TWO COMPLETELY different things. Praying for him is great, he needs the prayers. Apologizing to him for something HE DID and is now facing consequences for is out of line.
Let me put it this way—I'm a survivor of many abuses, one being sexual. SO, if someone were to apologize to MY ABUSER, it would come off to me as them saying, "Oh, I'm sorry you got caught." That's pretty much what you're saying. You don't realize the amount of hurt you caused by writing that article.
I felt personally attacked by your article and Brock Turner wasn't even my abuser. I agree, he should repent and confess his sins. The problem is that he DOESN'T think he has done anything wrong, and until he serves adequate jail time, is castrated, or scared enough from bystanders, he never will. Most of the people hating on him are only trying to get him to realize what he has done is wrong. Yes, some are going about it the completely wrong way. I do not believe threatening rape on Brock Turner is the way to go. I CERTAINLY do not believe threatening to rape his mom and other female relatives is the way to go about it, either. Apologizing to him is also not the way to go about it, because you're essentially apologizing for his actions, for you yourself have done nothing and have no need to apologize. I can guarantee that the people protesting outside of his are not sorry and do not appreciate you apologizing for them.
It's rude.
What makes this even more inconsiderate is the fact that you've never been abused. Granted, I'm glad you've never had to live through that trauma but please, do not write something like this if you don't know what it's like to be in the shoes of the abused. You have no right, and in a way you are victim blaming. Like I said before, you're saying sorry he got caught. That's not OK. Saying you understand "how victims of sexual crimes can be the rest of their lives," is not OK because YOU DON'T. "Must be horrific" is an understatement, and trying to put it into perspective to back up an article like this is wrong.You do not have to be sorry for all of the hate he is receiving. You just do not have to participate in it and add fire to the flame.
Also, your statement "She will always have to live with the fact that you took something so extremely precious from her," is awful. You're implying he took her virginity. First, Ms. Rush, virginity is but an imaginary thing created by men to measure our worth. By implying he took her virginity you are saying he took away her worth. Also, no one knows about her sex life before this incident, and quite frankly, it's not any person's business but hers. Your statement was rudimentary. It was demeaning.
She will always be worthy.
I hope you will now understand how awful what you wrote was. I, too, will be praying for Brock Turner, but I'll be praying that he finally realizes what he did was wrong, because only then can he truly bow down to the Lord, give his life away and be redeemed.
You can't help someone unless they want to be helped, and by not accepting that what he did was wrong, he is saying he doesn't want to be helped.
