This Stanford case has really hit me hard the past week or so. As soon as I read both her letter and his father's letter I was stunned. When I found out about his sentencing and subsequent shortening of it, I was even more upset.
They keep referring to the girl as his "victim" and how her letter is a victim's response.
She is much more than that.
She is a fighter.
She may not have been conscious during his brutal attack, but she has been fighting an uphill battle ever since. Fighting to keep from remembering what happened, fighting to keep him responsible for it all, fighting herself for not really knowing how it all turned so bad so fast, etc. She is also fighting to maintain her dignity as a person who was subjected to a horrific and violent sexual assault. I admire her for her fighting spirit.
She is strong.
As I said, she is strong. She has been able to hold onto this torment and anguish for so long, and she will carry it with her for the rest of her life. When Brock gets out of prison way sooner than he should, she will live knowing that she was not given the justice she so rightfully deserved.
She is courageous.
It takes great courage to get in front of a judge and read a very graphic, detailed letter of what she dealt with following this experience. It takes great courage to know that her attacker is getting off on good behavior because of his "all American" look and impressive athleticism. It also takes incredible courage to wake up and face each day knowing what she went through.
She is empowering.
I want so badly for anyone else, woman or man, affected by her story to speak out. It is very empowering to have something like this happen and see the ripple effect it has on other survivors of attacks just like this one. Her words have been powerful, and she has changed many lives with them. Many more people who are just like her are going to come forward because she gave them the push to do so.
She is beautiful.
I do not know this girl and I probably never will. I wish I did. I bet she's gorgeous. I bet she's the girl everybody knows and loves. Even though I do not know her, I know she is beautiful. She is beautiful because she stood up for herself and what happened to her and she didn't let it push her down. She didn't try to use the pain and anger against herself and harm herself. She didn't try to seek revenge or anything against her attacker. She was graceful, poised, and acted in a way that I find incredibly beautiful.
She is not a victim. She is much more than that.
