Tomorrow, Brock Turner will be walking free from a California jail. If you haven't heard the name, I'm very surprised. Brock Turner was on the Stanford University swim team. He had a great swim record apparently, and seemed like a nice guy all around. In January of last year, Turner did something that probably changed many people's opinions on him.
Turner was found guilty of raping an unconscious woman at a party by a fraternity house. NBC News said that Brock could have faced up to 14 years in prison with the rape charges that were put up against him. Then something shocking happened. Brock Turner's family, friends, and supporters came out and mailed letters to Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky. The letters stated that Turner was a good kid, and this was the first time he had ever did something like this. With him being a first-offender, he shouldn't get such as bad of a punishment...right?
No, wrong. He should've did the time that any other rapist would have gotten. That didn't happen. Yes, Brock Turner was found guilty. Justice was still not served to the young woman who was raped. Brock Turner's sentence was six months with three years probation. Okay, what is that going to do? According to his family and supporters, Turner's life would drastically change while being in prison for a long period of time, and it would of course mess up his bright future in the swimming pool.
But let us not think about the victim here. A girl was raped who was not conscious of what was going on. She did not give consent. She did not say yes to him. She was unconscious. On BuzzFeed News, I read the letter that the victim read to the judge and Turner in jury during the trial, and it was super powerful. She basically addressed him and told him how she felt. You can read it here if you like. Two graduate students who were biking across campus saw Turner on top of the victim behind a dumpster...now please imagine if this was your sister, cousin, best friend, or yourself even. How would you feel after waking up knowing you were raped? That someone that you had no affiliation with had been inside you? And after all the trials and newspeople talking to you and long nights of not sleeping, the person who rapes you get only SIX MONTHS?
Let us also not forget that since your rapist was a good boy in jail, he gets to leave early... How would that make you feel. Sure, Brock Turner is expelled from Stanford University and is no longer on the swim team. Great job, Stanford, but what will everybody do in that community to make sure something like that doesn't happen again? Brock Turner may have lost his chance to be great academically and athletically, but his victim lost a piece of herself entirely. I couldn't even imagine how she is feeling, and I would never want to or even wish that upon somebody. The fact of the matter is, Brock Turner should've done his time and in my opinion, he needed a whole lot more time than just six months. No, excuse me...three months.
