Mrs. Turner

  By now you have all heard about the 6 month jail sentence rapist, Brock Turner, received from a California judge. In fact he probably won't even serve that entire sentence. General consensus says more likely three. 

  He will be on a registered sex offender list which will limit his career choices, where he lives, where he travels. It will impact all relationships he has. With women, family and friends. In fact this is the only true punishment he will receive. Jail is not prison. Six months is not fourteen years.

  Now the father is being vilified for defending his son. The words he chose were.....honestly I can't come up with a suitable description. However I don't want to talk about that. 

  I want to talk about Carleen Turner, the mother of this rapist. A woman. The mother of a young woman. A mother who I'm sure taught her daughter how to be safe in many situations. Who probably told her to be extra careful going to parties. To be smart about her surroundings and the people in them. You know, what almost every mother tells their daughters.

  Carleen Turner the nurse. A nurse who probably has seen more than her share of rape victims coming through an ER. A nurse who most likely has seen the terror, shame and pain in the eyes of young women her daughters age. A nurse who had to administer HIV tests and take swabs for rape kits for the police. A nurse who had to stand by while a young woman howled in pain, rocking on the floor in the corner.

  What is going through her mind. Is she questioning all of her parenting decisions? Is she blaming herself? Wondering if she should have talked to her son more about treating women with respect? I would assume all of the above.

  I would also assume that while she may defend her son in public, privately she is struggling. Remember she has a daughter too. What can she possibly say to her? That would be the most brutal of all I think.

  Don't take this as I'm feeling bad for this rapist. Or his father. But there are two women in the picture that have done no wrong. And I know many of you blame the parents but I'd bet my life they never told him it's ok to rape someone.

  One quick note on the young woman who was raped....she will be fine. The inner strength it took to read and write those words show me that yes you have some healing to do but you will be just fine. Better than fine. You will be inspirational.

  Ang