I’m not sure what I’m more livid about–Brock Turner’s 6-month sentence for 3 felony sex-count convictions or his father’s attitude toward the situation.
Ex-Stanford swimmer Turner viciously attacked a young woman, changing her life forever. (Yes. The violence of rape sticks with you the rest of your life.) Her impact statement in court poignantly and intelligently explains what she went through, how she’s feeling now, and what she expects her future to be like. The judge heard that–and still gave Turner only 6 months in jail plus probation.
His father’s reaction? That a long prison sentence for his son was not appropriate for “20 minutes of action.” To be honest, I don’t know if, as many people feel, he was saying that his son “got a little action,” thus minimizing the violence to the level of a consenting sex-game. I don’t know, either, if Mr. Turner thinks that all sentences should be based on the length of time they took (let’s see, a man takes 10 seconds to aim and shoot the gun that kills another man…). Or if he’s even using his brain at all.
I don’t wonder where Brock got his attitudes from. I do wonder if maybe the dad should serve a long stretch in prison for the 20 years of child-raising that led to this woman’s being raped.