Why the Stanford rape case should piss you off

The headlines that bother me happen daily, but after reading the letter that the victim of a rape committed by Stanford student Brock Turner, nothing in the news has angered me more.

Rape is everywhere and victims get blamed all the time. I’ve sort of seen this unfold before my very eyes a few years ago. But this Stanford rape case, if you call it that, has me cringing at the statements released daily. The victim, read a letter at her rapist’s sentencing that left me in tears. Tears of anger. Tears of fear. Tears of sadness for this woman.

If you have not read this heart wrenching letter yet I highly encourage you to. Whether your a man, woman, mother, father, brother, sister, however you identify, go read it.

Then once I started reading more and more about this horrific event, the father of the rapist releases a heinous statement. The man had the audacity to complain about his son paying a steep price “for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.”

I’m sorry, but WHAT?

Since when did raping an unconscious girl with abrasions on her body and her naked body exposed in the middle of winter behind a dumpster in an alley suddenly become something to be considered “action?” And when did it become okay to be pissed off about that?!

One word describes what I felt when I read that: LIVID. This is what is wrong with rape culture. Men feel entitled to be mad that it was only “20 minutes.” Last time I checked, if she’s unconscious, it’s rape. Hell, if she’s drunk, it’s rape. Reading this woman’s letter and trying to understand how terribly she had been treated not only by her rapist but also the police who questioned her really made me start to think.

When did it become a woman’s fault she got raped? Why is that even a thing?

You can start with dress codes in schools because from a young age, girls are told not to dress in certain ways or we will distract the boys. As if boys can’t control themselves around some exposed skin like a savage animal. As if me wearing a dress and heels is an outfit that “wants male attention.” As if me having long hair and liking to wear lipstick is a sign that yes, I will have sex with you tonight.

No. No, a thousand times over. I dress for me and me only. How I decide to present myself to the world is my choice and I do it for myself. If I wear shorts or somewhat tight pants, that does not give a guy the right to slap my ass. Whoever is to blame for this happening is beyond me, but I will not be a person who dresses differently because according to someone out there, my appearance will warrant male attention.

The media has also made it a point to tell us the rapist was a swimmer at Stanford, even including his times for his swimming events like it was normal. Sure, let’s list a rapist with his name, age, height, weight, swim times, eye color, etc. WHY do people think that because he was an athlete that it’s not that bad. That he is a good person. He stopped being any type of good person the minute he drug his victim out of that party.

Being an athlete does not make committing crimes of any kind justifiable. So what, he was on a swim scholarship. That does not mean he gets a slap on the wrist and gets throw back into the pool for the next meet. He raped a girl, a girl who will forever be affected by this and may never be the girl she was before that night.

This case, as with many rape cases, always leave me questioning things I do. How many times have I walked down an alley by myself at night? How many times have I not paid close enough attention to people handling my drinks? How often have I worn things that give off a sexual message?

Rape is never okay, and it never should be. Period. Point blank. We need to realize this and protect victims rather than blaming them. Rapists should face the ultimate punishment regardless of their name or standing at a university or in society.