Rape. Just reading the word itself makes us uncomfortable, as it should. It's an act we all recognize as absolutely atrocious and horrific. However, we don't really like to talk about it too often. Occasionally we'll voice our discontent, but it's usually only a few sentences long.

Then we read about a case like the one involving the Stanford swimmer and suddenly being quiet is no longer an option. We are reminded, sometimes with first-hand accounts, of how barbaric rape is. Enraged, we take to our outlets to speak out against rape and rape culture. Over the last week in particular, there have been some incredible pieces written about rape to help raise awareness of how destructive it can be.

These pieces, written by both men and women, have moved us with powerful words and unforgettable stories. They take us far away from our comfort zones so that we can see rape for what it truly is; a vile, disgusting act of cowards and monsters. If there was ever a silver lining for cases like these, it's the attention and coverage that it gets. Brave testimonials by victims and their families as well as beautifully written and shared ideas have allowed more and more people to become much more educated on the subject and severity of rape. Every post helps to fight the ignorance that some people still have.

For those of you who haven't seen or read about the Stanford swimmer case, a young man named Brock Turner raped an unconscious woman, tried to fight the charges in court, was proven guilty and was given an incredibly lenient sentence. There is a multitude of things about the case that has everyone up in arms. There's the fact that despite being proven guilty of multiple sexual assault charges, he was only given a sentence of six months in a local jail with the possibility of leaving in three months for good behavior.

Then there's the testimony of Turner's family that makes him out to be the victim, not the unconscious woman he forced himself upon. Almost everything about the case has caused massive outrage across the country. What really caught my attention, however, was despite having mounds of evidence against him and being guilty beyond all doubt, Turner refused to acknowledge that he did in fact rape this girl.

He came up with multiple excuses and stories to explain what happened that night without ever owning up to what he did. In a testimonial given by the victim, she stated she wanted nothing more than to put this behind her and try to move on. However, she still cannot do so because Turner continues to refuse to take responsibility for what he did.

This poor girl not only had to deal with the physical and mental damage from the assault itself but also had to endure the grueling court case that forced her to relive the horrible events again and again. This girl has gone to hell and back again all while trying to be convinced that what happened to her was her own fault. So what does she get in return? Absolutely nothing. The only thing she asked of Turner was for an apology for what he did. Turner, even after all that has happened, continues to deny her even that.

What's truly unfortunate is that cases like this happen all the time. A rapist puts their victim through a lengthy and difficult court process without ever accepting responsibility for their actions. Some blame it on alcohol or drugs, while others even have the audacity to blame their actions on the victims. Even after being proven guilty in a court of law, rapists refuse to take responsibility for what they did.

What message does this send? That rape is really no one's fault? That it just happens sometimes? It's no wonder that women are taught to be careful around men. How are women supposed to feel safe if rape is something that can just happen to anyone? That it has more to do with how much someone drank than it does the actual person? I hope you all are seeing how dangerous this type of thinking can be.

When a rapist doesn't take ownership over what they did, it suggests that they had no control over their actions and that it was the fault of the other factors involved. Many times they will even try to blame the victim. Yes, they will even go as far as to say that it was the victim's fault they were raped. This is one of the most sickening things I can think of doing to another person. Not only did you rape them, but you claim it was their fault you did it. This has to change. These criminals must be held responsible for their actions and officially own up to what they did. Our justice system cannot allow rapists to hide behind these disgusting excuses like alcohol or what their victim was wearing.

Taking more responsibility for our own actions is something that needs to change. By letting these excuses pass in a court of law, we are sending a message to women that it's their job to not get raped. That alone should make your sick to your stomach. We are teaching women to be on the lookout for men rather than teaching men the definition of consent. Apparently it makes more sense to teach women to be careful what they wear then it is to teach men how to respect women. This backward reasoning has to be stopped. It is not at all difficult to be a gentleman and it's even easier to show a little common courtesy.

Respecting women is a problem we still seem to have in this country, though, despite it being the year 2016. It's a very simple concept to grasp and one that needs to be much more widespread. Respect and consent are not hard subjects to understand and we must continue to make a conscious effort to teach and practice them.

While we are on the subject, I want to make one last point. I know rape is not an easy topic to talk about. It's an uncomfortable and unnerving subject for most of us, despite most of us never even having experienced first-hand its severity. It's an absolutely horrific and beastly act, so naturally it's difficult to have a conversation about it.

However, these are conversations we must have not only among ourselves but with our children as well. Some may argue that teaching something like this to children is too much. I say, however, that if a child is old enough to have "the talk," they are old enough to learn about consent. It's important to teach them early about the concept of respect and consideration for one another. We must also teach them that rape is not something to be taken lightly and how truly destructive it is. Keeping our future generations safe starts with early education.