"Your Honor, if it is all right, for the majority of this statement I would like to address the defendant directly.
You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.
 |
| WHAT LOOKS LIKE CONSENT TO A RAPIST |
On January 17th, 2015, it was a quiet Saturday night at home. My dad made some dinner and I sat at the table with my younger sister who was visiting for the weekend. I was working full time and it was approaching my bed time. I planned to stay at home by myself, watch some TV and read, while she went to a party with her friends. Then, I decided it was my only night with her, I had nothing better to do, so why not, there’s a dumb party ten minutes from my house, I would go, dance like a fool, and embarrass my younger sister. On the way there, I joked that undergrad guys would have braces. My sister teased me for wearing a beige cardigan to a frat party like a librarian. I called myself “big mama”, because I knew I’d be the oldest one there. I made silly faces, let my guard down, and drank liquor too fast not factoring in that my tolerance had significantly lowered since college.
The next thing I remember I was in a gurney in a hallway. I had dried blood and bandages on the backs of my hands and elbow. I thought maybe I had fallen and was in an admin office on campus... "
~Buzzfeed
Brock Turner was found, half hidden, be thrusting into an unconscious woman and arrested for rape.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.nj2gL0g3X#.jvWAWjAgQ
Both were intoxicated. But the questions above are the questions the woman raped by Brock Turner had to answer in writing and turn in before the rape charges against her assailant were dropped.
http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/stanford-swimmer-from-area-accused-of-sex-assault/njyHy/
As I understand it, Brock didn't have to turn in a sheet of paper justifying every single thing he did that day. We can assume the police questioned him. But I doubt Brock was defending his clothing, his food choices, what and why he decided to drink, and if and where he decided to pee.
No, Brock probably didn't answer questions anything like the victim did. But at least the sexual assault charges stuck. And while Brock probably didn't have to turn in anything in writing to the judge, Brock's father did send a note to court about how 6 months jail time was too much for "20 minutes worth of action"
As I understand it, Brock didn't have to turn in a sheet of paper justifying every single thing he did that day. We can assume the police questioned him. But I doubt Brock was defending his clothing, his food choices, what and why he decided to drink, and if and where he decided to pee.
No, Brock probably didn't answer questions anything like the victim did. But at least the sexual assault charges stuck. And while Brock probably didn't have to turn in anything in writing to the judge, Brock's father did send a note to court about how 6 months jail time was too much for "20 minutes worth of action"
So, now I'm curious about just how "intoxicated" Brock was. Aren't you?
Because if he learned consent from his father, the alcohol wasn't really the issue. Rape is nothing to this man. Brock's father is talking about his son's lack of appetite and depression.
Did I forget to mention that Brock was found thrusting into an unconscious woman while half way hidden behind a dumpster? Yeah. Apparently Brock wasn't so drunk he didn't forget to try and hide his crime while he was doing it.
You know what? Even if a family member of mine had killed someone on a whim, I'd probably be worried about their eating, depression, and state of mind. I'd be worried about suicide, etc. But I do not believe I'd talk about the murder's passion for cooking and day to day enjoyments --as if the crime was nothing. If I did write something on behalf of my beloved, murderous relative, I think I'd also mention how sorry my murderous relative was for the crime against the victim.
But for a lot of men? When the crime is rape, there's no crime and no victim. There's a misunderstanding. It's almost as if someone stepped on another person's toe. Describing "rape" or "sexual assault" as "20 minutes worth of action" comes from a mind that barely believes that rape is real. A statement about "20 minutes worth of action" comes from a mind steeped in rape culture. And a more intense form of rape culture is appears to be what was taught to Brock Turner whose Olympic Swim Team dreams are dust.
If I was raped like this and my assailant got 6 months, the dust of his dreams would be small consolation, but I dance on that dust just the same.
Don't you let anybody teach rape culture as "normal" to your son now or in the future.
Don't you let anybody teach rape culture as "normal" to your son now or in the future.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.nj2gL0g3X#.jvWAWjAgQ
LISTEN TO THE WHOLE STATEMENT HERE.
This really out to be required reading for sex education class. The woman that was raped talked about discovering she was raped by being told, by reading about her story in the news. She talked about not wanting her body anymore. She talked about her sister crying so hard she couldn't talk, even months later, because they went out together -- and now her sister is thinking she should never have left her alone.
In rape culture women can't be alone.
page updated 6 8 16
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