By Hipolito Navarrete, Managing Editor/Publisher
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration perpetrated against a person without that person’s consent.
So how is it that a well-educated man decides that it is not to the benefit of the rapist to make him accountable for his violence so as to make sure this does not destroy his future? Where was the question of the well-being of the unconscious woman considered? Why are there so many men making a case for the rapist, and in some cases by women? We can all speculate as to why, but the fact is that that the perpetrator decided that his urges were more important than another human being’s safety, rather he saw her vulnerable situation as an opportunity to quench his need for pleasure, the actions of this man makes us believe that he is a predator.
We have many young men in our society that have been groomed to victimize others and to view women as objects of pleasure. The judge fulfilled the promise that many of these type of men that see women as objects thought, you will be forgiven, don’t worry about the consequences. His father also illustrates the formation of a predatory mind, “20 minutes of action,” is the most disgusting and dismissive statement this father can make about a young woman who needed a compassionate person to find her, not his predatory son.
There is a lot of shame and guilt to go around. Many men are very complicit in what happened. There is a lot to learn and a lot to face. The boisterous community of predatory men can be very scary to challenge and address. These are folks that are used to using violence, physical if necessary, to gain the upper hand. The judge gave them the gift of validation; that needs to change. The miseducation of our children needs to stop, they need to be called in to accountability and we, unfortunately, must start with the fathers.
We do not live in isolation, we live in communities that can create a healthy space or in communities that can sear the soul if its residents. There is a need for conversation and reconnection to either educate folks need to be reminded of each other’s values or to stop predators like Brock Turner.
