After serving only three months in county jail, half of what he was originally sentenced, convicted sex offender and former Stanford University student Brock Turner went home early on Sept. 2.
His release has sparked national outrage once more, as his already-lenient sentence was cut short. Since his release, droves of people have showed up outside the police station as well as his parent’s home to protest, holding signs with phrases such as “Castrate Rapists” and “If I rape Brock, will I only do 3 months?”
What these sort of remarks and actions fail to recognize is that Turner’s case is not an isolated incident. Turner is fully to blame for his actions but his short sentence and early release are part of a bigger and more pervasive problem. What he did was dehumanizing and despicable, but unfortunately, he is one among many. The justice system that upheld a six-month sentence, when six years in prison was recommended with the potential for 14, is to blame.
While this trial’s conclusion deserves to inspire outrage, it is evident Turner is not walking away from this without any repercussions. The message Judge Aaron Persky conveyed in his sentence is horrifying, and while a reasonable person would understand and empathize with the hurt and anger of the protesters, it’s unclear whether the violent rhetoric being used will bring lasting or beneficial change.
There is another uncomfortable dimension to this sort of response. The signs held by some protesters reinforce the idea that violence and rape are acceptable forms of punishment and revenge. Anger is acceptable, but violence is not. It’s The Leader’s hope that the outrage seen is for something that will bring about change. This world does not need more violence in it. Real revenge would be upsetting the system that ultimately allowed this to happen in the first place.