I grew up in a quiet town. One full of people who knew each other. A town full of people who watched out for each other. You could find the majority of my small town at the Friday night football games. Everyone knew your name and where you worked. For the first 19 years of my life, this is where I lived. And perhaps my small town was sheltered, but it was safe. Until it wasn't anymore. Because now, Brock Turner lives in my hometown.
By now, most of the nation is familiar with Turner's story. With Turner's crime. He sexually assaulted an unconscious woman while on campus at Stanford University. He was sentenced to six months in jail, and after just three months, he is free. He will serve three years probation as a registered sex offender. Three years probation in my beautiful, comfortable hometown. The little ice cream shop that serves little league teams after games, the library where many of us sat reading books or studying for finals, the high school that is right across from his neighborhood. Brock Turner, in comparison to his victim, is leading a very cushy life.
Armed protesters stand outside his house. Many hold signs, saying things like "Castrate All Rapists" and "Shoot Your Local Rapist." Family friends have voiced their concern and worry at their new neighbor, saying they don't feel safe letting their children play in this neighborhood anymore. My small town is no longer the safe haven we believed it to be.
How could this have happened? How could someone who has done something so heinous be able to walk free? How is it okay for him to have ruined the life of his victim and be able to live in luxury? And why is it okay for him to be out, to move into a small town and instill fear in the hearts of its citizens?
This world is not a safe place. We were all taught that growing up. Evil is present around the globe. But now it is spreading, seeping into the cracks we had hoped it missed. Now it seems that no place can provide peace of mind. It seems that evil and fear exist everywhere, even in a place I'd never dreamed of before; my hometown.
