I find it disgusting and repulsive to read any article about a rape victim, 'Former BYU pitcher going to jail for sex with 15-year-old girl,' in which the assailant is slapped on the wrist and told to go sit in time out. Rape; obviously, the justice system in this country is not aware of the denotation, much less the connotation of the word. Rape is unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary). This definition does not even begin to describe the long-term affects in the young woman's life; how she views herself, relations with members of the opposite sex, and extreme trust-betrayal issues.
I don't even know where to begin with my frustrations of this situation. First of all, the ex-BYU baseball player not only took advantage of this girl's body, but of her trust which is even more delicate. The girl may have put herself in a stupid situation, but that in no way gave Fernley the right to take advantage of her. Rape not only leaves physical, but emotional and mental scars. He robbed her of her choice. She must now deal with consequences that weren't even hers.
I cannot believe that for such a heinous crime, Fernley is only sentenced to a year in jail! Drug dealers and car thieves spend more time in prison. Not to mention that it sends a message to young men that punishments for such actions are minimal and that they are above the law of true justice. This is a serious situation and a serious problem. No one, regardless of sex, should be treated in such base, callous, and cruel manner.
As for the article, I am immensely offended by BYU pitching coach, Mike Karpel's comment, 'There's no debate that he's made some bad decisions, as a lot of young men do.' Is that some kind of excuse? Well, 'boys will be boys' isn't good enough to explain the caveman mentality that seems to rage in boys, men, and the male sex in general.
Another fallacy with the article is the lack of the word 'rape' in the headline. Fernley rapped the girl. It wasn't just that she was under aged, but she was under aged, drugged and rapped. Tell the story like it is. Don't trim the edges and air brush the details of a former glorified BYU athlete who made a small mistake and after his time-out will be okay while the girl, as was stated in the article, may never recover.
Jennifer Beveridge-Lassey
Great Falls, Mont.