If it takes a village, avoid Turnerville

The African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. If that is the case, what does it take to raise a rapist? A murderer? A thief? A man or woman of no integrity? What does the village need to do (or not do) to have such spectacularly bad results?

Over the last couple of weeks, we've all been held spellbound by the conviction and sentencing of the former Stanford swimmer now convicted rapist, Brock Turner. We were further held in thrall by the rapist's father's, mother's and friends' words in support of their boy. Many of the rest of us looked on in shock, awe and morbid fascination. And rage. There was plenty of rage too.

Some of us understand and accept that it is more than the first family that builds the character of an individual. But what happens when the circles surrounding a child fail to make a decent human being of him/her? What do you do when you see this happening? Do you see it happening? And who's responsible or picks up the pieces when your bad child goes out into the world and wrecks havoc or creates misery?

The case of rapist Brock Turner, is one that is worthy of some study methinks. How does this happen? How do we prevent it from happening? This handsome, smiling swimmer/son/brother/rapist, has now been convicted of 3 felonies. He was raised, by all appearances, with every possible benefit and blessing. Two parents in the home - though we know nothing of the quality of that relationship; gainful and steady employment for the breadwinner; financial resources and emotional support from a stay-at-home mother, and yet, a rapist is what came out the other end. We've been led to believe that all things being equal, perfect people will result. We've certainly been fed a steady diet of 'single parent homes breed malefactors', so the Turner Turn Out is more than a little troubling. All things looked to be more than equal, and yet a rapist is the outcome.

Brock Turner, felon, convicted rapist

The African proverb claims that it takes a village to raise a child. What is the address of this child's village? Who is in it? I need to know cuz clearly that's a zip code I may need to give a wide berth.

Based on the letters of support from his father, his mother, his friend, I think we have a pretty good idea about how things go in Turnerville. I for one won't be venturing too close. Like I said: wide berth.

We must ask ourselves some serious questions not just about Turner himself, that he would harbor thoughts of performing a sex act on a person too drunk to consent, but also about the long list of friends and family who had no difficulty casting him in the role of victim. If this is his village, how could we expect anything more from him than this outcome? Was that a reasonable expectation? Show me your village and I will draw you your child.

I understand wanting to cast blame equally on both parties. No seriously, I do. His family, understandably, wants to believe that he's not really a rapist, except that well, he is. I understand the urge, but don't encourage or support it for a nano-second.

Drinking to excess doesn't make one a rapist, a bully, an exhibitionist or the life of the party. Drunkenness exposes that which we would typically cover with propriety and/or basic decency....if we've been taught these things. Drink lowers our inhibitions, allowing the seamy underbelly of who we are to come out to play. This is why there is no one type of drunkard. Some folk are maudlin drunks; some angry; some hyper-sexualized; some humorous; some Socratic. This rape was evidence of Turner's underbelly. That underbelly came out to play though thankfully it got caught. Given his punishment, can we say that we've dissuaded it from coming out ever again? If the other residents of Turnerville don't get that (1) drink is not an excuse, (2) they bear some responsibility too and (3) begging for a light sentence only ensures that this very thing may happen again down the road, how is the village to encourage, model or teach a new behavior?

When the poor or people of color (or people sitting at the intersection of Poor and Brown Streets) run afoul of the law, our society has no difficulty blaming their culture; the environments in which they grew up; or their social and familial influences for their behavior. We have no trouble not only blaming them, but also widening the aperture and blaming everyone who looks like them. Please tell me, who all have we blamed for the way Turner turned out? I haven't heard too much said about his character or his predilections in the media.

Turner won't even see the inside of a prison for his felonious assault of another human being, though that is undoubtedly where he ought to be. Rather, he will pass the time - likely a paltry three months - in a county jail and in protective custody to boot. He will be entirely insulated from the real hard consequences of his actions. He will exit the jail in the height of summer, and return to the warm, loving (enabling) embrace of Turnerville before the summer of 2016 is history. He will return to the village that raised him to be who and what he is. I wonder, are we expecting a happy ending to this story cuz I'm not seeing it from where I sit in the cheap seats.

I ask again: what village raised this child? I need a name and a zip code. I'm adding to my 'do not venture here after dark' list. Steubenville is first, Turnerville takes second.