Why do the headlines read “Stanford swimmer guilty of rape” or “Stanford swimmer released early”? There are a lot of words that come to mind for a rapist-repulsive, vulgar, awful, disgusting, domineering, selfish, horrific, creepy, vile, but the word chosen was swimmer.  A rapist deserves no recognition for torturing another person. Any word could have been chosen.

Ever since the beginning of time the public has worshiped athletes, spending hours on end glued to TVs to see super humans play a game. A rapist is not super human.  A rapist knowingly destroys someone’s life. A rapist is forever branded into the victim’s memory. A rapist is a monster.

Why is it less of a crime if the rapist is an athlete?

Brock Turner was released from prison after serving half his sentence. Three months.  He served three months after raping a woman.  The fact that he didn’t even serve his full sentence of six months is absolutely ridiculous.  After he was released on Sept. 2, there was an armed protest outside of his house proving that he is one of the most hated people on earth.  They claim that he was released for “good behavior”.  Are you kidding me?  A rapist is released three months early for “good behavior”.  He stripped a woman of her clothes and identity.

Close your eyes, picture yourself waking up in a hospital, unaware of what has happened to you. Imagine reading the newspaper about an anonymous girl who was raped and finding out that girl was you.  Imagine people having to take pictures of your naked body.  Imagine the rapist stating that you wanted to do it even though you can’t even remember it. Yet, Brock Turner was released for “good behavior”.  If that is society’s view of good behavior then we live in a disturbing world.  The most disturbing part of all is that most women that are raped are either too afraid to report it or do not receive any justice at all.

Rapists should be in prison for life. Rape is equally as bad as murder except for the fact that that woman or man has to go on with their life.  They have to try and pretend that the world is a safe place and that that they won’t be harmed.  How can they possibly move on with their life if they don’t receive justice for what was done to them?

In the victim’s letter she wrote “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside of me…”.  She will be haunted for the rest of her life because of that inconsiderate excuse of a person.  Then, there is the fact that Brock and his family tried to cover up violating someone with his athletic abilities and his wealthy upbringing.  I don’t care how rich you are or how good of an athlete you are, you do not under any circumstances take a person’s dignity or destroy someone’s life.

She deserves justice and he deserves prison for life, athlete or not.