Dear Mrs. Turner,

You are Brock Turner's mother. Brock is a man, note I didn’t say "boy," who has been recently charged with three counts of sexual assault. Everyone is talking about the horrific thing your son has done. Your husband has been getting particularly negative attention for a statement that was released pleading the judge for a lighter sentencing. Though there seems to be a voice missing from all of this media rampage, and it is yours.

I know that you were one of the people who wrote to the judge pleading for a merciful sentencing. I want to know more about you, Mrs. Turner. What were your thoughts when you received a phone call saying that your son was arrested for sexual assault? How did you feel when his victim read her letter to your son openly in court? Is your letter to the judge how you really feel? Or is it you trying to be a good mother and wanting your son to be okay?

I am not a mother myself, Mrs. Turner, so I don’t fully understand the love you have for your son, Brock. But how can you consider his crime so easily forgiven and chalked up to a mistake while drinking?

I understand that your family is coming from a nice neighborhood. You have worked hard to give your son everything he wanted. Mrs. Turner, you were the one to drive him to swim practices, to sleepovers and school. You taught your son to look both ways before crossing the street, to say please and thank you and secrets of the upper class. Though with all of these lessons you taught him, you skipped the lesson on what 'no' means. The lesson on how women, drunk or sober, are not objects for the taking.

Mrs. Turner, I understand you have a daughter. How did you explain all of this to her? Did you excuse her brother’s acts? While raising your daughter did you tell her that it's only really sexual assault if the assaulter doesn’t have a promising future? No, Mrs. Turner, I don’t think that’s what you taught her. I think you taught your daughter that no matter what state she is in, she always can say 'no' and that should be respected.

You taught your daughter that her body is hers and she can make choices and that no man can ever take that away from her. I can see your husband making a comment about how if any man were to take advantage of her that he would destroy him.

So, now I ask, Mrs. Turner, why doesn’t your son's victim deserve the same respect? Why doesn’t she get justice? Mrs. Turner, what lesson are you teaching your daughter now? Mrs. Turner, what lesson are you teaching your son? You have made sure that he is getting out with barely a slap on the wrist, so what's next? Some lessons on alcohol consumption and then back to his safety net in Ohio? With reassuring words that it's not really his fault, that it was the alcohol, that you are sorry his whole life is ruined because of this?

Mrs. Turner, how long can you and your family blame the alcohol before you realize that your son is a sexual assaulter and does not deserve to be above the law? Mrs. Turner, I too am sorry that your son's life is ruined, though I do understand that it was his actions that got him there, and I can't quite understand why you don’t get that either.