Yes, I am personally outraged at the amount of publicity the Brock Turner "rape" is receiving. At first glance, that probably makes me sound like a terrible person. However, you should be very upset too.
Think about how many people have shared pieces of the story. Now, think about how many people might have viewed each of those posts? How many other victims have seen it and felt confirmed that his/her silence is the right choice?
First, I want to know why everyone is getting so worked up about this particular case. Yeah, sexual assaults are always terrible, and I'm not trying to dumb it down, but this was such a mild case compared to the majority of them. It was still horrid, but there was not actual penetration and she "lucked out" by being unconscious and by not knowing the perpetrator. It will still be hard to live with, but those make it harder. Yeah, Brock got off with a light punishment instead of actually having to pay for his crime, but at least he actually was convicted, at least he did receive a sentence. Situations like "Emily's," though, and worse, are not even close to uncommon. Moreover, far too often, victims cannot even make it to trial.
Second, stop saying, "Rape is rape." It doesn't matter what you call it. Legally, in most states, there are different levels of sexual assault, and that is what matters. It actually does make a difference how the assault takes place. Also, making such a big deal about calling it rape tells other victims that if it wasn't a full-blown rape, their situations are insignificant. For other victims, the line between sexual assault and rape is important. When something like this happens to you, these "small details" become necessary for survival.
Third, I wish people would stop crucifying Brock Turner for this. Y'all are making him into a bit of a celebrity. I'm sure "Emily Doe" doesn't wish to ruin his entire life, especially after having read her letter. He deserved the full punishment, yes, but it is not up to us to arm up and destroy him. Obviously his father's influence has sponged his brain, but if he figures it out someday, he deserves the chance at happiness too. It annoys me to no end that he won't admit to what he's done. Apparently his father forgot to teach him how to man up and take responsibility for himself. That said, it is still not our place to teach him this lesson. Thanks to the conviction, in regards to him having to register as a sexual offender the rest of his life, we can rest assured he won't be allowed to hurt anyone else in this way.
Most importantly, I am very upset that this topic has such a far breadth, because I don't want any victims to read it about it. It doesn't take much to make you certain that telling anyone about your abuse will only embarrass you further and make you hate yourself even more. Or worse, you will be told it is your fault, which is a fear that is very hard to face. What you don't seem to see is that that is the one of the worst parts of being sexually assaulted (not that there are many good parts). It is typical for you to feel like it is your fault, without a court pointing every possible finger at you. You never know why the perpetrators chose you over anyone else; hoping there is no one else. You feel stained, positive that no one else will be able to truly love you after what has been done to you. Sometimes that is so severe it causes you to fight tooth and nail to stay with your abuser. Especially, when you become conscious during the act, if your body enjoys any of it, though your mind is horrified, it's like your body has betrayed you, and you feel impossibly guilty and hate yourself all the more. Imagine if the judge had heard something like that. He would have acquitted Brock right then and there.
Plus, not all, but quite a few victims know their abuser/s, it might even be someone he/she loved and trusted. Also, in those cases, it tends to happen more than once or possibly even frequently. It's the kind of thing that, years later, when you finally find true love, makes it where you still can't have a perfectly normal relationship. For a long time, you have panic attacks or shut down if your person accidentally touches you in a similar way. It sticks with you for life; you just have to learn how to have it make you stronger, braver, and more aware. If you know anyone that experiences sexual assault or abuse after you, you feel guilty then too, as if you should have seen the signs and prevented it somehow, just because you've been there -whether you admit that to yourself or not.
It sucks to know that so many people falsely accuse others of these types of crimes because it would be so much easier to make the laws tighter and harsher. It shouldn't be so rare for an actual conviction, but then again, with all the liars out there, it almost has to be. I must not forget to give some serious props to "Emily Doe." After all, she has been very courageous to stand up and go through this. It's hard enough to admit to yourself what's going on, let alone the world.
My point is, I'm really afraid that after hearing/reading about this, other people who are suffering from sexual abuse will decide that if "Emily Doe" couldn't get her justice, then their cases don't even stand a chance. They deserve guaranteed safety much more than Brock Turner deserves to be hated by everyone in the world.
Everyone should have been steaming and stomping about this issue for years now. So, I don't want to say, "Chill." Instead, I want people to be much more aware and angry in general for every case like this. It's so commonplace that you're not, and that is absolutely not okay.
