Addendum

So Tamar remained a desolate woman in her brother Absalom's house.

When King David heard of all these things, he became angry, but he would not punish Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.  But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar.

-2 Samuel 13: 20b-22

I would like to be done with Brock Turner, because the whole story gives me a sour stomach.  I took the time to read the victim's statement, which honestly I only recommend if you aren't already heartbroken for her.  If you have any of that victim blaming impulse that I talked about yesterday, take the time and read as she pours her guts out and graphically describes the aftermath of her sexual assault.
I have also read Turner's father's plea to the judge for clemency, which I will not link because, while I understand the desire of a father to try and help his son, his plea is a rather repugnant case of the "boys will be boys" defense, and I cannot even pretend to endorse that.  The judge, however, did grant Turner rather remarkable leniency, which is really what has caused the interweb to collective lose its mind.  Apparently the judge is now facing everything from death threats to a recall campaign, and Brock Turner is being turned into the face of sexual violence and white privilege with one broad stroke.
Man Internet, you can be a vicious nest of hornets sometimes.
Don't get me wrong, I don't feel bad for Mr. Rapist, he did something very vile.  If we're going to do something constructive with this tragic mess though, we need to put the brakes on the outrage machine for just a minute and consider the following: Brock Turner is not some sort of outrageous villain, he is probably a pretty normal kid who made a bad decision.  He is a  young man who grew up immersed in privilege: a wealthy, white, top performing athlete who was on the fast track to being someone.  I know, that makes him easy to hate for most of us, but for the love of truth and justice can we please take a step back and realize that he is not Hannibal Lechter.
If you will permit me to go all preacher for a minute, the story of the rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel is a rather poignant analog to this situation (Oh yeah, this stuff happened in the Bible).  The violation, the refusal of the King to do justice and the eventual rebellion of Absalom which tears the kingdom apart and leads the death of Amnon, and eventually Absalom as well.  Just in case you think stuff like this is new, go read it now.  Seriously, this goes pretty deep, same stuff different millennium.
Incidents like this one are far too common.  This one has just happened to catch fire in the public eye.  Baylor has been rocked by a scandal involving sexual assaults by athletes.  A Columbia student carried a mattress around campus to demonstrate against indifference to her plight. Rape and sexual assault on college campuses is an epidemic and it has been for a long time.  Many of the victims do not speak out, and the Turner case is a vivid and damning example of why.  If they were drunk, they're going to get blamed.  If they were flirty or dressed all sexy, they're going to get blamed.  If the guy is a an athlete or a really good student, or if he is well liked and good looking, people are going to make excuses for him.
Many victims of rape get violated all over again if and when they seek justice.
I think that focusing too much on this one guy, making him the poster child for campus sexual assault might actually be helpful if we can hold in tension the reality that he is actually a pretty normal guy.  We can, and should hold both realities: he is a young kid, who has mostly towed the line and who was on the right track, who in a moment of alcohol induced stupidity did something bad; and because of that something bad he is now a sex offender.  That is how fast it can happen, that's why this problem is so deep.  There are, in fact, a goodly number of actual serial rapists on most college campuses, however, that doesn't limn out the whole problem.  You can become a rapist without lurking in the bushes or forcing your way through a bedroom door, you can become a rapist if you simply don't understand what "No" means, or if you don't account for the fact that the object of your lust being unconscious is an automatic "No."
It can happen that fast, it can be that irrevocable.  And once it's over there is very little you can do that would truly amount to justice.  If we locked up Turner for ten years, would it give that girl back what she lost? If we vilify him and scapegoat him and recall the judge for being lenient, if we round up an angry mob and hang him from the old oak tree, would that take away the violation?  Who is right? Absalom? David? Who? No one? Tamar remains a desolate woman.
Somehow we need to figure out how to head Amnon off at the pass.