Dan A. Turner,
I'm writing this letter to tell you how completely appalled I was after reading your letter to the judge in your son’s case. No, I do not know your son. I do not know what it's like to live with him, eat with him, or even talk to him. However, I do know that despite what you said about how “he has always been a person that people like to be around,” many people, myself included, would never like to be around him. You say that he has “expressed true remorse,” but actions speak louder than words.
You speak of the devastating impact that January 17 and 18, 2015 had on your son, but you fail to mention the devastating impact those days had on the victim. You focus on Brock’s inability to eat and how “he will never be his happy go lucky self.” You said, “His every waking moment is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear and depression.” Yet, among all of those descriptive nouns, you failed to mention guilt, sorrow, shame, humiliation, or any other feeling so often associated with “true remorse.”
You blame Brock’s desperate desire to fit in and “the culture of alcohol consumption and partying” as part of an excuse for his despicable actions. The thing is, although I did not get shipped off to another state three years ago when I began college, I was at one point or another starting a new journey in my life at a new location surrounded by new people. When I transferred from an extremely small private school to a large public school, I desperately tried to fit in like most people my age. Temptations were all around me, and like a typical young adult, I may have given in at times. I made choices that affected myself, but I refused to drag people into the messes I made. But every single time I did something wrong, my parents were the first ones to make sure I faced consequences for the decisions I chose to make. They did not defend me, especially when the evidence proved that I was the one in the wrong. They did not make excuses. They carried out with the penalties no matter what the cost.
I am not saying you have no right to stick by your son’s side. Blood is thicker than water, right? However, when the people we love do evil, disgusting, unimaginable things, our job is not to defend them. We should not focus on their past accomplishments. We should focus on the current situation and what led to it. What did Brock do to get himself into this position? He raped an unconscious woman. It does not matter how much he drank or how much she drank. He made a terrible decision that not only affects him, but also the victim’s life, her family’s life, her boyfriend’s life, etc. Those “20 minutes of action” he got have an everlasting effect on a young woman’s existence. He single-handedly did this to himself.
Yes, everyone knows there is a problem with binge drinking on college campuses, but blaming that as the sole reason for your son’s actions is irresponsible. It is downplaying Brock’s choices. He raped an unconscious woman. I cannot help but question how you would react if someone did this to your wife, daughter, or niece? Would you shrug your shoulders because the perpetrator was dedicated to academics and athletics? Would you get over the sight of your wife lying on the ground naked and helpless simply because the criminal only got 20 minutes of action compared to living an overall good life?
Every single prisoner started somewhere. Maybe they robbed a few dollars here or got into a few fights there, and I am sure many of them were “good people.” Unfortunately, good people make bad choices. Your son made a horrific choice. His academic and athletic life should not act as a “get out of jail free” card. Each choice has a consequence. Rape leads to jail. Instead of trying to change the law, try and change your son’s mentality. Try and teach him the difference between right and wrong, yes and no. Teach him that every action has a reaction. Teach him that women are people, just like you and him. Teach him that victims deserve a voice, and criminals deserve punishment. Teach him how to get over his “poor me” attitude and how to take responsibility for the actions he chose to perform.
Very respectfully,
Alexis Thomas
You can read Mr. Turner's letter here.
