The case against former Stanford University, Brock Turner, has been all over the news and social media due to its recent verdict. Twenty-year old, Turner, got sentenced to a mere six months in county jail with probation, after being found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. While the story itself is disgusting, the victim spoke out in court in an inspiring message that has since gone viral. But as if to not leave it on the note of this woman's bravery and courage, Turner's father wrote a letter in opposition of his son's, already lenient sentencing.
Mr. Turner, I understand that it must be beyond words to deal with what you, as a parent, must be feeling. But that's just it: you tried to put it into words and whether intentional or not, you offended everyone who read those words. And to top it off, you didn't even mention her. No sorrow or remorse for her and her family in this difficult time. No apologies, not even an acknowledgement that she exists and her claims are real. It sounds as if you feel that your son was arrested for shoplifting so you felt no need to apologize to the store he stole from but rather speak about how his decision to steal has really affected him. So I took the time to revise what you wrote, just slightly, into what I can only hope is the point of view you eventually see.
"As it stands now, Brock's her life has been deeply altered forever by the events of Jan 17th and 18th. He She will never be his her happy go lucky self with that easy going personality and welcoming smile. His Her every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear, and depression. You can see this in his her face, the way he she walks, his her weakened voice, his her lack of appetite. Brock She always enjoyed certain types of food and is a very good cook himself. freedom. Like the freedom to feel comfortable in her own skin and the freedom to trust people. I love my son and remember how I was always excited to buy him a big ribeye steak to grill or to get his favorite snack for him. I had to make sure to hide some of my favorite pretzels or chips because I knew they wouldn't be around long after Brock walked in from a long swim practice. But this isn't about me. Nor is this really about him, really. This is about how, now he she barely consumes any food and eats only to exist. This is about how these verdicts have broken and shattered him her and her family in so many ways. His Her life will never be the one that he she dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve despite what my son did to deter those dreams and ambitions. That What she needs to overcome is a steep price to pay for my son wanting 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life. The fact that he now has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work, and how he will be able to interact with people and organizations. This is a small price to pay for forever altering this young woman's life. What I know as his father is that incarceration is not the appropriate punishment for Brock but as his father, I also know that I am bias. I am defending the little boy that I raised and watched grow. I am speaking highly of the boy I knew, not the rapist he became. He has no prior criminal history and has never been violent to anyone including his action on the night of Jan 17th 2015, which I choose to believe, because again he is my son. Brock can do so many positive things as a contributor to society and is totally committed to educating other college students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity but first he must pay the price for his actions because no matter his swimming records or high achievements before this point, he has been found guilty. By having people like Brock educate others on college campuses is how society can begin to break the cycle of binge drinking and its unfortunate results sexual assault. Probation is the best answer what I would hope for for Brock in this situation and in hopes that it would allow him to give back to society in a net positive way after the negative impact he has made but I understand that six months is getting off easy for such a serious, life altering crime. Finally, to the woman who stood up against my son in what must have been the hardest experience of her life, and to her family, I am sorry for your pain. As a father, I would never wish such horror on any child. I am sorry that it was at the hands of mine."
