Unless you literally have never been on the internet before, you are probably well aware that college student Brock Turner raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster and left her there. Given that most people have souls, the reaction to this has been pretty unanimous; that he is a garbage human being who deserves to rot in jail. For whatever reason, though, there are few who stepped forward on his behalf, defending his actions, worrying about what jail will do to him, and using the fact that he was good at swimming to somehow make the fact that he raped someone seem somewhat excusable.

Brock Turner's background doesn't matter. He raped someone. He made the active decision to sexually assault a woman. If he was a good 12-year-old at one point in life or was nice in high school doesn't mean anything. He is a rapist.

To Brock Turner's father who is so concerned with how one decision is going to ruin his son's life, let me just say, it should ruin his life. His son is so devastated, he can't eat anymore? Well imagine how his victim felt. Worried that one choice will ruin his whole life? He chose to rape someone, it will ruin his life, and quite frankly, I think it should, because he may very well have ruined someone else's.

To the judge who reduced his sentence to six months because he was concerned about his safety in prison, really? Like, really? You're worried he'll get hurt, even, heaven forbid, sexually assaulted in jail? Is the irony of this not obvious to you? Quite frankly, I'm not concerned about his safety in prison. By not concerned let me make clear that I mean I really don't care about his safety. He never seemed to care about his victim's.

And for his friend who claimed that the fact that he raped someone in college does not make him a rapist, it does. That is literally what it means. He is a rapist, and if you try and argue against that, then you perpetuate rape culture.

I am angry. I am angry that this is such a common occurrence, and that so many survivors will not see the justice they deserve. I am angry that the fact that this boy is a good student and a good swimmer is being used as any form of justification, and that there are people actually buying it. When we show these survivors that the people who caused them so much pain will never see real ramifications for their actions, then how can we expect others to speak up? How can we ever expect to see and end to this constantly perpetuated rape culture?

Brock Turner made a choice to rape, a choice that is very easy to not make. It is very easy not to rape someone, in fact most people live their lives without ever doing it. In that moment, Brock Turner made his choice, and should that one bad choice ruin his life? Absolutely, because it could have ruined someone else's. It doesn't matter what his background is, Brock Turner is a rapist.

For the woman who survived this terrible action, I am truly sorry for what happened, and the strength and courage you showed through your letter was incredibly inspiring.