BROCK ALLEN TURNER HAD TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE JUDGE RIGHTBEFORE THE JUDGE DECIDED TO GIVE HIM A TINY SENTENCE, AFTERHE WAS CONVICTED OF RAPING AN UNCONSCIOUS GIRL BEHIND ADUMPSTER. NOW, BROCK ALLEN TURNER GOT SIX MONTHS IN JAIL FOR RAPINGSOMEONE, BUT THE CHARACTER LETTER THAT HE SENT TO THEJUDGE BASICALLY DID NOT REALLY TAKE REAL BLAME FOR HISACTIONS IN DOING A RAPE, IN RAPING A WOMAN. IN FACT, IT SEEMED LIKE HE WAS BLAMING ALCOHOL. LET ME REDO PARTS OF THE LETTER. HE SAID, "I WISH I HAD THE ABILITY TO GO BACK IN TIME ANDNEVER PICK UP A DRINK THAT NIGHT, LET ALONE INTERACT WITH[THE VICTIM]. I AM A CHANGED PERSON. AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE I NEVER WANT TO HAVE A DROP OFALCOHOL AGAIN. I NEVER WANT TO ATTEND A SOCIAL GATHERING THAT INVOLVESALCOHOL OR ANY SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE MAKE DECISIONS BASEDON THE SUBSTANCES THAT THEY HAVE CONSUMED. "ON GOING TO STOP THERE, AND JUST NOTE THAT THIS IS THE PARTTHAT EVERY MEDIA OUTLET IS CIRCLING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSETHAT IS THE PART THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST. IT'S SEEMS AS THOUGH HE DOES NOT SEE HIMSELF AS SOMEONE WHOWAS A CONVICTED RAPIST OR A CRIMINAL, HE SEES HIMSELFAS AN INNOCENT INDIVIDUAL WHO JUST HAPPENED TO DRINK TOOMUCH AND AS A RESULT OF THAT DID WHAT HE DID. BUT IT'S NOT THE ALCOHOL, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE VICTIM GOTDRUNK, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF COLLEGE CAMPUS CULTURE, ORCOLLEGE PARTY CULTURE, IT IS BECAUSE YOU RAPED SOMEONE,AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONSIF YOU GENUINELY WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THAT YOU'RE REMORSEFUL. THERE IS ONE OTHER THING IN THERE THAT BOTHER ME ALITTLE BIT. HE SAID HE SHOULDN'T HAVE DRANK THAT NIGHT, AND AS YOU SAIDLET ALONE INTERACT WITH THE VICTIM. YOU CAN TAKE THAT IN A POSITIVE LIGHT AND SAY, I WISH IHADN'T DONE ANYTHING AGAINST HER ñALTHOUGH INTERACT IS A FUNNY WORD. YOU CAN TAKE THAT IN A NEGATIVE WAY AND LOOK AT IT ASVICTIM BLAMING. IF I HADN'T RUN INTO HER, EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. IF I'M THE JUDGE I LOOK AT THIS IN ITS TOTALITY AND GO, BOYTHIS KID STILL DOESN'T GET IT. HE SAYS, OH NO I'M REALLY HURT AND IT'S HURT THE CORE OF WHO IAM AND I CAN'T DRINK ANYMORE. I'M NOT SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE SEVERITY OF WHAT YOU DID TOTHE OTHER PERSON. THERE IS A LOT OF MENTION OF WHAT HE'S FEELING, AND WHATHE'S GOING THROUGH, AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE MENTION OF WHATTHE ACTUAL VICTIM IS GOING THROUGH. I'M GOING TO BE TO THE PART WHERE I THINK HE SOUNDS THEABSOLUTE MOST ñ MOST RESORT ñ MOST REMORSEFUL, AND THEONLY PART IN A LETTER WHERE HE SOUNDS COMPLETELY REMORSEFUL. HE SAYS, "I AM THE SOLE PROPRIETOR OF WHAT HAPPENEDON THE NIGHT THAT THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES WERE CHANGED FOREVER. I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. I CAN NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF FOR IMPOSING TRAUMA OR PAIN ONTHE VICTIM. IT'S DEBILITATED ME TO THINK THAT MY ACTIONS HAVE CAUSEDHER EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS THAT IS COMPLETELYUNWARRANTED AND UNFAIR. "THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST PART OF HIS LETTER, BUT IT IS LONGAND THE REST OF IT TALKS ABOUT HOW HE FEELS ABOUT WHAT HASHAPPENED TO HIM. THAT PART OF THE LETTER IS GREAT, I WISH HE HAD ONLY WROTEñ WRITTEN THAT OTHER PART ñI WISH HE HAD ONLY WRITTEN THAT PART. READ THE OTHER PART. THIS DRIVES ME NUTS. HE SAYS HE'S LOST TWO JOBS SOLELY ON THE REPORTING OFHIS CASE. HE SAYS HE WISHES HE WAS NEVER GOOD AT SWIMMING OR HAVETHE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND STANFORD SO THAT MAYBE THENEWSPAPERS WOULDN'T WANT TO WRITE STORIES ABOUT HIM. BROCK, YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT. YOU'RE NOT UNLUCKY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO STANFORDAND THAT'S WHY THEY ARE WRITING ABOUT YOU, AND OTHERWISEYOU WOULD GET A VERY LIGHT SENTENCE ANYWAY AND NO ONEWOULD HAVE "BOTHERED YOU" FOR RAPING SOMEONE. NO, YOU'RE SUPER LUCKY FOR GOING TO STANFORD AND HAVINGTHESE PRIVILEGES. IF SOMEONE IN THE INNER-CITY WHO IS 20 YEARS OLD RAPEDSOMEONE BEHIND A DUMPSTER, THEY'RE NOT CALLED A KID,AND THEY SUFFERED TREMENDOUS, SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES. DOESN'T HAVE TO BE INNER-CITY, CAN BE POOR OR MIDDLE-CLASSANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. THEY HAD AN ACTUAL KID, 16-YEAR-OLD THAT WEREPORTED ABOUT, WAS WRONGLY ACCUSED, HE WAS FACING 41 YEARS. HE SERVED OVER FIVE YEARS WHEN HE DIDN'T EVEN DO IT. NOW WE FIND THIS KID IS GOING TO GET RELEASED IN THEBEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, HE'S ONLY GOING TO SERVE THREEMONTHS BECAUSE OF GOOD BEHAVIOR. YOU HAVE ALL THE PRIVILEGE IN THE WORLD. BECAUSE YOU WENT TO STANFORD AND YOU ARE GOOD AT SWIMMING,YOU ARE GOING TO GET A SLAP ON THE WRIST FOR RAPE, AND HESTILL THINKS HE'S THE VICTIM. POOR ME, THE MEDIA IS TREATING ME UNFAIRLY. IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A LIGHTSENTENCE, BECAUSE WHAT?IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL?HE DOESN'T GET IT. IT SEEMS LIKE HE IS CONSIDERED INFALLIBLE BY HIS FAMILYMEMBERS AND THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM. HIS FRIENDS WROTE CHARACTER LETTERS FOR HIM, AND THISBASICALLY HAPPENS BEFORE THE JUDGE SENTENCES YOU. IT'S SUPPOSED TO INFLUENCE THE JUDGE'S SENTENCING. THAT WAY THE SENTENCE FAKES ñ MAKES SENSE. YOU READ THESE CHARACTER LETTERS AND THEY ARE RIDICULOUS,THEY MAKE EXCUSE AFTER EXCUSE FOR HIS BEHAVIOR. 1ST OF ALL, ONE OF HIS FRIENDS, LESLIE RASMUSSEN SAYS, RAPEON CAMPUS ISN'T ALWAYS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE RAPISTS. YEAH, RAPE ON CAMPUS ISN'T ALWAYS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARERAPISTS. IF SOMEONE RAPES, THEY ARE BY DEFINITION A RAPIST. THAT DEFENSE BASICALLY WORKED. THIS IS A REAL RAPE, REAL RAPE IS DONE BY POOR PEOPLE THATARE SCARY, AND THE OTHER, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO MEET THEMIN A DARK ALLEY. BY THE WAY, HE RAPED THEM IN A DARK ALLEY. NOT THIS GOOD UPSTANDING CITIZEN. AND IF HE DOES IT ON CAMPUS HE'S NOT REALLY A RAPIST. AND THE JUDGE WAS LIKE GOOD POINTS, I'LL ONLY GIVE HIMSIX MONTHS, AND IN REALITY I KNOW THAT'S ONLY SIX MONTHSñ THREE MONTHS, BECAUSE I KNOW PRISON WILL BE DIFFICULT. THE JUDGE CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT. I DON'T WANT TO TURN THIS INTO A THING WHERE IF EVERY JUDGEISN'T SUPER TOUGH ON PEOPLE WE ARE GOING TO GET RID OFTHEM, I JUST WANT THE SAME JUSTICE FOR EVERYBODY. I WISH THAT JUDGE WOULD REALIZE THAT PRISON IS GOING TO BE TOUGHON EVERYONE HE SENDS TO PRISON. YOU THINK IT'S NOT GOING TO BE TOUGH ON A MINORITY KID?ON A POOR KID JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE POOR?YOU ARE A JUDGE, EVERYONE YOU SENT TO PRISON IS SEVERELYIMPACTED! IF YOU THINK THAT CENK IS OVERREACTING, LET ME GIVE YOUA STATEMENT BY THE JUDGE AFTER HE READ THE LETTER FROM BROCK. "I TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD THAT SUBJECTIVELY THAT'S HISVERSION OF HIS AT ñ EVENTS. NOT CONVINCED THAT HIS LACK OF COMPLETE ACQUIESCENCE TOTHE VERDICT SHOULD COUNT AGAINST HIM. "IN OTHER CASES, IF YOU DON'T IMMEDIATELY ADMIT GUILTTHEY THROW THE BOOK AT YOU. YOU SHOW NO REMORSE, YOU'VE LEARNED NOTHING FROM THIS,YOU ARE CLEARLY A THREAT TO SOCIETY. MAXIMUM SENTENCE. IN THIS CASE, HE DOESN'T QUITE GET IT AND HE DOESN'T ADMITIT, BUT IS HE REALLY A RAPIST?IT HAPPENED ON CAMPUS. AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SEVERE IMPACT ON THE POOR KID. THERE IS A TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND ANYONE WHODENIES IT IS EITHER NAœVE OR IN DENIAL. THIS IS WHAT THE REALITY OF AMERICA IS. IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, IF YOU ARE FROM A CERTAINSOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, OR YOU HAVE A CERTAIN SKILL COLORñ SKIN COLOR, THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR. WE TALK ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE, THIS IS NOT ALL WHITE PEOPLE'SFAULT THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, THAT WHITE PRIVILEGE EXISTS. YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY GUILTY OF WHAT THE SYSTEM IS DOING. IT'S JUST MEANS THAT BECAUSE OF CERTAIN BIASES THAT EXIST,CERTAIN PEOPLE GET A BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THAT OTHER PEOPLEDON'T GET. JUST BE AWARE OF THAT, AND SHOW THE SAME LEVEL OF EMPATHYTO OTHERS AS YOU MIGHT SHOW TO THIS GUY. I THINK HE WAS SHOWN WAY TOO MUCH EMPATHY IN THIS CASE, BUTWHAT DRIVES ME CRAZY ME ñ CRAZY ZOOM ñ WHEN WE SHOW NO EMPATHYTO THE OTHERS AND WE CRUSH THEIR LIVES WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT. ON TOP OF THAT, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE, INTHIS CASE BROCK ALLEN TURNER IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF IT, POUR SALTON EVERYONE ELSE'S WOUNDS BY PRETENDING THEY ARE THE VICTIM.
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