Storyline: The rape culture exists because men let it exist. We dance around the word “rape.” “Normal” men don’t rape women. Only violent criminals rape women. They should be punished without leniency. Are we not better than this?
The Sports Column is a great opportunity to write about the sports world and share my opinions. Sometimes I have strong opinions about stories that only tangentially relate to the sports world. This is one of those times.
I am angry and horrified at the rape culture that exists in modern society. The rape culture is often enabled at our sporting institutions. Baylor football is just the most recent example.
Courtesy: ABCnews.go.com
What angers me today is the story about the convicted rapist from Stanford, ex-swimmer named Brock Turner. Turner dragged an unconscious woman behind a dumpster and raped her. Plain and simple. He was caught in the act by two heroic bicyclists, who happened to be riding by the scene. They saw him in the act and retained him until police arrived. Without these two heroes, Turner would likely be still swimming for Stanford.
While the act is despicable, the sentencing Turner received is just as bad, if not worse. Turner was charged with three felony convictions: assault with intent to commit rape, sexually penetrating with a foreign object, and sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object. Yet the blond haired, blue-eyed, Stanford athlete received a six month jail term!
The American court system can be absolutely disgusting at times.
The cherry on top of this appalling story is the appeal made by Turner’s father. It helps explain the rape culture in America. Excuses are mind-numbing and self-serving. Read it below.
Brock’s life has been deeply altered forever. Your child raped an unconscious woman. The consequences should fit the crime. Brock is not a victim. He is a rapist.
His every waking minute is consumed with worry, anxiety, fear and depression. What about remorse, regret, empathy, responsibility, and accountability? He raped a woman. But, still, you’re only concerned about his feelings? What about the victim? You’ve sentenced her to a lifetime of pain.
Courtesy: disclosurenewsonline.com
Brock always enjoyed certain types of food…Now he barely consumes food and eats only to exist. I probably wouldn’t have an appetite either after realizing what a pathetic, violent rapist I was. But, sadly, I don’t think that reality has been accepted by the Turner’s.
That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of 20 plus years of life. How many men/women are in prison for acts that took a split second? How long does it take to pull the trigger? Punch your spouse? Twenty minutes is actually a counter-argument to sentencing because he had an eternity to change his mind. He could have changed his mind once he dragged her to the dumpster, or ripped off her clothes, or took off his. He had multiple chances but kept proceeding with his violent crime.
The fact that he now has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life forever alters where he can live, visit, work. Yes! That’s because your son is a god-damn sex offender! He has committed a violent crime and must pay the price. Being on an internet list compared to prison is a trade any person would make.
Brock can do so many positive things as a contributor to society and is totally committed to educating other college age students about the dangers of alcohol consumption and sexual promiscuity. Wow! What an astonishing sentence. Can Brock really explain the dangers of alcohol consumption to college kids? I got blitzed countless times in college, but I can’t remember (even remotely) considering dragging an unconscious woman on the floor somewhere and raping her. College kids drink and get wasted all the time. But only rapists think about raping knocked-out women. Most kids should be ‘just fine’ without having to hear from Brock about his life lessons.
Courtesy: courant.com
By the way, Dad, what does any of this have to do with sexual promiscuity? The answer: nothing at all because your son (and listen closely to this, Dad) raped an unconscious woman.
The rape culture exists because men let it exist. We dance around the word “rape” and make excuses about short skirts, alcohol, and men’s libido. “Normal” men don’t rape women. Only violent criminals rape women. They should be punished without leniency. Are we not men? Are we not better than this?
Maybe we aren’t. But I know who’ is better: the victim. Read her letter for a deeper truth than my masculine opinion on the case.
I know The Sports Column is for sports but, sometimes, men need to call out each other.
Excellent column. Thank you for writing.
Very well put.
Bravo.
Excellent commentary on an I ultimate issue of “power over”. Those so called privileged have no concept of the feelings of others. It is always self satisfaction. The father in this particular example should be punished to the extent of the law as well as his son.
Great read Jason, it needs to be shared all over!
Very well stated Jason!
Thanks for writing this Jason. It needed to be said. There are athletes making millions of dollars who have raped women. It’s a disgrace that they get away with it.