For all of the wrong reasons, Brock Turner is a household name now. He has branded himself as the ultimate privileged and disillusioned villain, not a college student but rather a rapist who has never been held accountable for anything in his life. Brock Turner put a face to an all too common problem of sexual assault in our society.
I don't assume that this was the first time that Brock Turner was not held accountable for his actions. I imagine that he failed many tests, and his father called in and complained enough to get him an extra credit opportunity. I imagine he had been in trouble before and got out of it because he was a "good kid." I imagine that Brock Turner has quite a history that was swept under the rug. Brock Turner represents everything wrong with raising children this way.
Brock Turner’s case is horrific on its own, but it is far, far bigger than just the disgusting acts of a former Stanford University swimmer. As much as we may hate to believe it, Brock Turner is not alone. While Brock Turner was spending his ludicrously short three months in jail, people like him have been free and roaming our world. They sit next to us in class, they go to our churches, and they live down the hall. Brock Turner has made us think about this on a deeper level.
It may sound sensationalized, but I’m truly not exaggerating. It is reported that nearly one in four girls is sexually assaulted by a man during their college career. It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out that these numbers are extraordinarily high, and that there are also a shocking amount of men committing these heinous acts. The implications of these facts are also disconcerting; With all of the men that commit these crimes, you have probably met several sex offenders in your life without even knowing it. Brock Turner has shown us that a rapist is not always a creepy man in a back alley.
I'm not writing this article to scare you or to urge you to protect yourselves. I want to make it known that this is a systemic problem that happens frequently. Brock Turner's case was initially brought to media attention because he was a popular athlete at an elite university. We should always be aware, though, that Brock Turner isn't alone in his actions or his lack of penalty. More often than not "good character," an over-involved family, and perhaps a recommendation letter from a religious official is all it takes to acquit a criminal. Brock Turner has shown us that these pathetic and revolting efforts are all too often successful.
This didn't start with Brock Turner, and I sincerely doubt that it will end with him. It's really hard not to be pessimistic when I see his face on my television. I do find hope in this case, though. A vast majority of the comments that I see surrounding the Brock Turner case and others like it are overwhelmingly negative. Those who seek to fight against sexual assault have made our opinions as prominent as this case, and there is hope in that unity. I can only hope that we continue to fight for our beliefs so that my children will not know an equivalent to Brock Turner.
