There isn’t going to be a formal introduction to this letter because you don’t deserve one, and I hope you know that as I’m typing these words, my right eye is twitching because I am just that angry. I wish I was able to think of other words to describe my level of anger right in this moment, but my mind is drawing a blank. Thank god for thesaurus.com, though, because I just found a slew of synonyms that I’ll write in the next sentence so you’ll really catch my drift. I am enraged; I am livid; I am boiling; I am infuriated. Do you want to know what you are? You are a piece of utterly despicable trash that has been unfortunately littering the grounds of Stanford University.

For anyone reading this open letter and doesn’t have a clue as to who Brock Turner is and why he can now be classified as the scum of this earth, he is a former student of Stanford University who raped a female student at the school, and was let off easy. His father, as well as a childhood friend, both wrote letters defending this sorry excuse of a human being for what he did; for violating someone else’s body. His father even said that “he only got 20 minutes of action”, like that fact is supposed to excuse his son’s behavior. The judge in this case let Turner off easy; he was given a mere six-month sentence as opposed to California’s mandatory minimum of two years, because “a longer stay in prison would have a ‘severe impact’ on Turner.”

Back to the letter in progress; I am a journalist, Turner, and I am also a 19-year-old girl. We are nearly the same age. I go to school, and I go to work. I hang out with my friends, and I spend time with my family. My parents are divorced, and I’m one of two daughters to a single mom.

I have a life, just like you did. I have aspirations for my future, just like you did.

The only differences between you and I? I have a conscience, I have morals, and I am fully aware of the concept of basic human decency.

I don’t think you’ve actually wrapped your head around what you've done. You may have thought “she liked it”, but she could be thinking of killing herself (God forbid) because of your selfish and unwavering desire to “get some action”. Seriously, that’s why you have two hands; they’re obviously useless for anything else now since you won’t be swimming for a while.

I want to make something else clear; thankfully, I have never been raped or sexually assaulted. My life has not been destroyed as the result of some else’s disregard for personal space. However, there are so many women (in this country and in this world) who have had their worlds turned upside down and inside out because of boys like you, because that’s what you are, Turner; a boy. You are a boy who simply can’t keep it in his pants, and you are a boy who was let off the hook because of your white privilege. You are disgraceful, you are disgusting, and you are everything that is wrong with this world. You, and people like you, are the reason that so many rape victims are afraid to come forward to report their assault.

I pray that the victim of your sexual assault one day finds peace within herself, and I wish you nothing but the worst. You deserve whatever karma decides to be a suitable punishment for you.

I sincerely hope you rot in the deepest pits of hell,