The media this week has deservedly put great attention on a story coming out of Stanford University. A male college athlete raped an unconscious drunk female after a party. The convicted rapist made the news for never admitting to the crime despite overwhelming evidence. The victim made the news because of an incredible and moving 42 minute statement detailing her pain, both physical and mental. The father of the rapist made the news for downplaying the seriousness of the crime, saying that his son shouldn’t be punished severely for “twenty minutes of action.” The judge made the news for only giving the rapist six months in county jail instead of the six years of hard time the prosecution asked for or the two year minimum specified in state law. The judge further made the news by saying that the rapist had “less moral culpability” because he was drunk. And colleges in general are in the news because of the horrible truth that nearly one out of every five female college students in America are sexually abused, raped, or sexually threatened.
Let me say up front that I’m the father of seven daughters. Six of them have had at least some college, and the seventh one is headed in that direction. So my perspective is that of a deeply concerned father. Nevertheless, I’d like to make these points, which seem self-evident to me but apparently not to others:
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If a woman doesn’t give consent, can’t give consent, or is too young to legally give consent, then it’s rape. And we shouldn’t use lesser terms to describe it.
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Rape is a horrible crime and needs to be treated as such by schools, athletic departments, judges, and parents. It is not only “2o minutes of action.” Six months in county jail is not enough time.
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A father of a criminal can understandably write a letter asking for leniency for his son, but to equate rape to “20 minutes of action” makes everyone wonder if the criminal learned his warped sexual attitudes from his father.
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Drunkenness does not lessen “moral culpability.” If a person chooses to drink, they are fully and should be legally culpable for all actions they commit while they are under the influence.
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Colleges need to take a serious look at and take responsibility for the culture on their campuses. Sexual crime is far too commonplace and the pressures to “keep your mouth shut” are far too real. Colleges need to find ways to change this culture even if it impacts their income, their prestige, their donors, and their athletic departments.
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Alcohol is a contributing factor to far too many of the problems on college campuses and in society as a whole. (The rapist in this case had twice the “legally drunk” level of alcohol in his system.) Decriminalization or legalization of marijuana in more places will increase irrational, immoral, and illegal activities while under the influence. Unfortunately, drunkenness has become the norm on college campuses and the expected behavior for anyone 21 or older. Where are the voices calling for restraint and sobriety? Why aren’t schools doing more to combat this behavior?
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This paragraph is hard to say correctly without being misconstrued, but we need to speak the truth. Rape is never acceptable and men cannot blame their actions on a woman no matter what she is wearing or what they’ve been drinking. Nevertheless, being drunk increases the chances of becoming a victim of crime. The victim in the above mentioned case had 3 times the “legally drunk” amount of alcohol in her system and she was passed out behind a dumpster after leaving a party. She was not responsible for being raped, but her drunkenness kept her from acting rationally and taking the normal precautions that would keep her safe.
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Sexual assault of any type harms victims deeply. The 12 page statement of the victim was one of the toughest things I have ever forced myself to read. Living through the emotional and physical trauma–as she did–is something I have never been through and can scarcely understand. It should be required reading for all incoming freshmen at any college or university.
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And on a more personal note, churches need to take the lead in teaching men a real respect for women. Real men should “shudder” at the thought of any type of violence against women, and this has to start while they are young. Churches should also take the lead in ministering to women who have been raped. I hope and pray that a local church has reached out to the woman in this story. She needs to know the love of God and of God’s people.