To the father of Brock Turner:
I would address you as Mr. Turner, but I'm not quite sure that you deserve a Mr. in front of your name. I don't know what it is about your son's case that bothers me so much. It might be that he assaulted an unconscious woman, that he never said sorry or owned up to it, that he received six months but is only serving three, that the victim is all but forgotten, or that through all of this his swimming achievements are more important than the crimes he has committed. Actually, I know exactly what it is: It is the fact that you said "my son doesn't deserve six months for 20 minutes of action." That's exactly what bothers me so much.
First, let me ask you a question. Do you have a daughter? If you do, I'm extremely ashamed of you. No father would EVER say his son was just getting "20 minutes of action" on an unconscious woman if he had a daughter. So put yourself in the position of her family. If you were her father, would you still be saying the same thing? Probably not, every father I know is disgusted by your comments about your son assaulting a woman, and not just any woman, but an unconscious one.
Second, let's get one thing straight, Your son is a Rapist, he was a rapist from the moment he decided to stick his penis in an unconscious woman's vagina. He will forever be a rapist in my eyes and the eyes of 90% of the human race. Here's a mini history of the definition of rape. A long time ago, rape didn't include sodomy, oral or marital rape. Today it does. This is the official, legal, definition of rape:
Definition of Rape. The crime of rape generally refers to non-consensual sexual intercourse that is committed by physical force, threat of injury or other duress. Common law defined rape as unlawful intercourse by a man against a woman who is not his wife by force or threat and against her will.
You can find the definition here: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/rape.html
Now, if you knew that your daughter had the chance of being raped every time she left the house, I think your views would be different.
Thirdly, Mr. Turner, your son should have to spend more than three months in jail. Of a six month sentence (I'll return to this later), your son only has to spend June, July, and August in jail. For a conviction that should have left him with 14 years in jail. Not to mention that you son will be in an individual cell, guarded by the correction officers and escorted every time he leaves his cell.
Courtesy of Santa Clara's inmate details for Brock Turner
Source: County of Santa Clara
A man who raped an unconscious woman will walk freely after three months because he is a privileged white boy who's father probably paid a lot of money to get him off easy. Six months when the prosecutor asked for 6 years.A possible sentence that could have required him to serve 14 years for the "20 minutes of action".
The media is no help. When the story broke this is the photo they used:
Not this mug shot from when he was booked, the night he raped a woman.
And because we live in a society where his swimming records were more important than the fact that he RAPED someone let me tell you the daily struggles of a 21 year old girl who just tries to get by day to day without getting assaulted herself.
When I leave the house, I constantly check over my shoulder to make sure no one is following me.
At the gym I make sure I am at a machine in between two other women if it is busy or far away from the rest of the crowd.
It's the caution I take when I go to the restroom, the group of women I have go with me and the mace I carry.
It's the campus safety officer I have escort me across campus when I'm working late or at the gym late or anywhere other than my residence hall after dark.
The caution I take after having men over the age of 50 hit on me at work (I work in a hardware store; you can stop those thoughts immediately.)
It's making sure that I when I do go to bars its with friends I can trust to make sure I don't get drugged and a sober friend who drives me home and keeps an eye on me.
It is growing up being taught to be extra careful because men cannot control themselves. Which is total bullshit by the way. Men CAN control themselves and society needs to start teaching men to control themselves rather than teaching women to cover up because men think with their dicks.
Mr. Turner, let me make one thing as clear as I possibly can.
Women do NOT dress for men or to be easy. Women dress for themselves.
My low cut shirt, short shorts or mini skirt does NOT give you the okay to make unwanted advances on me. It does NOT give you the right to say that I was asking for it. It does NOT give you the right to go ahead and continue to make advances when I say NO or am too drunk to make a decision of whether I WANT to have sex with you of ANY KIND. And it CERTAINLY DOES NOT give you the right to have sex with me if I am UNCONSCIOUS.
That "20 minutes of action" cost a woman her normal life. It cost a woman the ability to go outside without being extra paranoid. It cost her the ability to feel clean or safe inside her own body.
That "20 minutes of action" will forever change the life of the woman he raped.
I am more than ashamed of you and the rape culture we live in because everything rape culture says is okay is far from the truth. You sir, are more liable for his rape than any one else but Brock Turner because he took those actions. YOU had the power to help prevent this from happening. If only you had taught your son that RAPE is NOT OK.
