Dear Brock Turner's Mother,

When I was a little girl, I had my first crush. While he shall remain nameless, I remember him very well, and I'll always cherish the innocent and thoughtful feelings I had developed for him. One time at a sleepover party, my friends dared me to call him - which I did - and say, "I like you, bye!" Eventually, some time after that, I had my first boyfriend. It was a middle school romance, lasted no longer than a few months, but it was a relationship, nonetheless. One year later, my parents got divorced.

In all honesty, I never saw it coming. I could never have predicted such a monumental occurrence, experienced no indicators that the possibility may arise and become a reality. I didn't know how horrible the marriage was. I didn't understand how emotionally distant my parents were. I didn't see the lack of feelings they had for one another. I was naive, and had no inclination as to what was going on behind close doors. I always viewed my parents as a unit, but after the divorce, I got to know a whole other side of my mom, who is the strongest, most compassionate and loyal person in my life. She never dated around much prior to marrying my dad, and thus, she hadn't known the tricks of the trade, what to look for in a partner, how to know when you've found your person. When my mom became single again, she did it the right way, and she taught me everything she knows.

In high school, I had my first real love, and thanks to my mom, I knew what signs to look for to ensure that I'm spending my time with a gentleman. Does he open doors for you? Pay for your valet? Call you beautiful instead of hot? Respect your parents? How does he treat waiters? These questions are only few of many that I was instructed to bear in mind, and while my teenaged-suitor failed to follow through, I knew that one day I'd find someone who would.

Mrs. Turner, it was your responsibility to raise your son to be a perfect gentleman, as it is every mother's responsibility. There is no justifiable excuse as to why a man disrespects a woman, whether it be physically, verbally, emotionally, etc., and this works in retrospect as well. Human beings must treat each other with dignity and kindness, at the very least. Mrs. Turner, perhaps the most important thing my mother taught me to look for in a partner was the ways in which he treats his mother, because that is how he will treat me. I'm sure you tried your best, did all that you could to help your child chart a bright and optimistic path. But somewhere down the line, you faltered. You must have. It's the only explanation. Yes, your parenting and devotion to your son's talent aided him in securing admission to Stanford University, but as soon as he got there, he sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, and that makes me question a lot of things - you and your husband's parenting mechanisms, specifically.

I'm not directly blaming you for what your son did. That would be atrocious, completely ignorant, and unnecessary. You weren't the won who digitally raped a drunk girl and wrote it off as a consequence of partying in college. But how do I know that you instilled morals and values within your son? What evidence is there to comfort me that you did the best you could? Your court testimony didn't help, and neither did your fierce defense of Brock from the press as he registered as a sex offender. You attempted to appeal to a judge, one with immense bias might I add, by pleading, "I beg of you, please don't send him to jail/prison. Look at him. He won't survive it. (...) That would be death sentence for him." Here's a thought - what do you think was running through Brock's victim as she realized what had happened to her? The feelings of shock, terror, wave after wave of fear of her own body and vulnerability and paranoia and a nightmare that she still can't wake up from. Look at her, Mrs. Turner. She almost didn't survive it. Brock's imprisonment would be a death sentence? Really, you're going to use that terminology? Imagine what it would feel like to wake up every morning with the knowledge that someone else has been inside of you without your permission nor awareness, and he'll never apologize or be punished appropriately for it, so long as chauvinistic judges have something to say about it. No one pities Brock or how traumatized he was serving his three months in jail. My pedicure has lasted longer than that.

I also feel the need to add that in a statement your parents released, they expressed their "shock" and "disbelief" that Brock is the only person being held accountable for the actions of other irresponsible adults." Are you kidding me? When I read this aloud, my jaw actually dropped. Victim blaming is never okay, and also, the victim was over 21 and getting drunk isn't illegal. No part of her actions that night warranted Brock's behavior, and there is no scenario in which she is at fault.

Your husband labels Brock's conduct as "20 minutes of action." The world labels Brock's conduct as rape. So what say you? I understand that you are a mother and you inherently strive to protect your youth, but have you ever considered what would happen if you publicly reprimanded Brock's actions? Personally, I think people would respect you. I would respect you. For if this were to happen, I would know that at least someone close to Brock feels that he must take responsibility, and will not stand idly by and condone his wrongdoings.

I implore you to consider another alternative - you have a daughter, and what if god forbid, she was assaulted? 1 in 5 women in college are, and while you are fortunately not a mother of a victim, many women happen to be. If you stood in their shoes, what would you think of your son? If you had a daughter who was a victim of rape, how would you feel knowing that her body had been violated against her will, and the man who perpetrated such lecherous and illegal crimes served a minuscule three months, and is now back on the streets living life as any civilian would. I am sure that even you would be terrified for her safety and for the safety of those like her, in addition to be feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied at the lack of closure her attacker's short sentence elicited.

I know that millions of women will be against my saying so, but I believe that there is still time and perhaps even hope. Brock made a horrible mistake that he will spend his whole life repenting for, as he should, but he is still young. His behavior drew national attention to a cause that is hardly in the spotlight, but really needs to be. Rape is a very prominent issue, especially on college campus', and Brock's assault precipitated long overdue discussions on how to halt this sickening trend for good.

As a sophomore in college who studies immensely hard during the week days and let's loose on the weekends, I shouldn't have to worry about the possibility of being taken advantage of. I never used to be afraid of talking to guys at parties and whatnot, but now as I do so, I feel this unsettling feeling in the back of my mind warning me to proceed with caution, because you never know what can happen to you. Brock happened to someone.

Instead of defending him, take a stand. Join the movement. Focus your efforts on ceasing sexual assault, utilize your newly found notoriety to instigate change and promote a positive and meaningful difference. Be a voice for mothers of victims. Be a leader. Do something good. There's still time for Brock, if he chooses to use it and better himself, and there is still time for you as well. Stop defending an adult who made a terrible decision, and start taking a step back and understanding the bigger picture and how you fit into it.

In her widely renown letter, Brock's victim pens, "Throughout incarceration I hope he is provided with appropriate resources to rebuild his life. I request that he educates himself abut the issue of campus sexual assault. I hope he accepts proper punishment and pushes himself to enter society as a better person."

Mrs. Turner, I hope that you have the strength to do so as well.