Emily McDougal- Brock Turner being the problem

Summary: In a recent case, Brock Turner, an ex-Stanford swimmer, was convicted of sexual assault and his sentence was to be 6 months, already less than his prosecutors wanted. However, Turner was just released after only 3 months. Sabir Muhammad, a very highly awarded former Stanford swimmer, spoke up about his release. Muhammad was very upset about what had happened, and especially as a father, was deeply disgusted with the way the situation unfolded. He said that it seemed to him that Turner's punishment seemed more like a slap on the wrist than a penalty for committing 3 felonies. Muhammad also spoke about the gravity of the situation, and how the many accomplishments Turner may have had were insignificant to this, yet they were treated like excuses for his actions. Muhammad also thinks that if Turner had been poor and black he might not have been treated in the same manner, with the same sentence. Overall, Muhammad makes the point that this comes down to the fact that Turner, not his drunkenness, must be treated as the problem and be truly punished for his actions.

Analysis: This article was written on September 2, 2016, by Wayne Drash to raise awareness for the extreme significance of sexual assault in our society. I completely agree with Muhammad's words about Turner needing realize that he, not anything else, is the problem in this situation. Many excuses have been made about why Turner did what he did, but in the end, Turner did something very wrong and needs to face the full consequences. Before reading this article, I knew about Turner's case and that his father had described what had happened as "20 minutes of action." This disgusted me, as well as many other people. Muhammad speaks about how important it is to teach children what is right and wrong and show them how to respect other people. That is why this article is so significant to us. Parents also must have more open conversations about the dangers of being taken advantage of, especially when alcohol is involved.

Synthesis: Since the 1960s, when the anti-rape movement began, women have made gains in helping our society be more aware of the significance of sexual assault. However, as this incident demonstrates, sexual assault is still very prevalent in our society and there is more work to be done to protect persons from being taken advantage of.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/health/brock-turner-stanford-swimmer-reaction/