This is a true story.
Emily and her younger sister were home drinking one evening three years ago. Emily had at least four shots of whisky. Emily is a big drinker and in her own words (according to the police report) she is a “party animal” and drinks so much that sometimes she “blacks out”. She claims she usually makes it home even when she blacks out.
A female friend was going to a Stanford University fraternity party she knew about. It was an undergraduate party, and Emily decided to go along even though she was a few years older than everyone else. Emily put on a tight black dress, white thong with black polka dots, a feather pendant necklace and lace-up boots. She brought along a cardigan in case it got chilly. Emily’s mother drove the three of them to the party.
They proceeded to drink more alcohol at the party. The friend had three shots of vodka and three shot size beers. Emily had at least two shots of vodka. Emily then went outside and relieved herself on the ground behind a tree. She returned to the party and began to interact with a first year college student called Brock. Brock is from Ohio, and made it to Stanford on scholarship as an Olympic hopeful swimmer. Although not old enough to drink legally, he was also drunk. They danced a bit and then left the party together. She, the older woman, led him away holding his hand.
They walked a short distance, then lay on the ground. They began to kiss and make out. He didn’t remove his own clothes, or unzip, but her thong came off. She rubbed his back with both hands while he fingered her. Then he got on top of her, grinding his hips a few times. She blacked out.
Brock’s punishment was insufficient to satisfy a left-wing lynch mob that congregated around the case. They focus on identity politics and see Brock as a pampered member of a male white privilege elite. They’re angry at the judge for letting Brock off “so easily”—although his life has been destroyed—and have mobilised a social media campaign to force a recall election (in the US some judges are elected).
Two Swedish graduate students passed by and noticed the motionless female with a male on top thrusting his hips. Brock, suddenly seeing the scene through their eyes, got up and ran. The Swedish students caught him and pinned him to the ground. The police were called.
Brock was charged with attempted rape (grinding on top of her with his pants on) and sexual penetration with a foreign object (his finger). He was tried in court and convicted.
The United States has begun to allow “victim impact statements”, where victims confront criminals and say how they were victimised. This is done after the verdict, but before sentencing.
Emily composed a 7,200-word victim impact statement that is an extremely compelling description of the “horror” she experienced. The word “horror” is in quotes because Emily was so drunk she didn’t wake up until three hours after the events and has no memory of what happened. Nevertheless, it is so well written that at least 15 million people have read it so far.
Emily says: “I had multiple swabs inserted into my private parts, needles for shots, pills, had a nikon (camera) pointed right into my spread legs. I had long, pointed beaks inside me and had my vagina smeared with cold, blue paint to check for abrasions. My privates were sore and had become a strange, dark color from all the prodding.” In other words she’s describing the medical examination that was looking for (and failed to find) any evidence of rape.
Among numerous manipulations in her statement she says, “My sister teased me for wearing a beige cardigan to a fraternity party like a librarian.” So she’s describing herself looking like a prude, while failing to mention the seductive black skin-tight dress described in the police report. However, she’s now the victim and can say whatever she wants. The questioning of female victims is not permitted in American culture today.
The judge listened to the whole statement and eventually passed sentence on Brock, condemning him to six months of jail. He was also kicked out of Stanford, lost his swimming career, and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. As well, the publicity around this case will hound him forever. (Emily is a pseudonym, and she remains anonymous.)
That is not the end of the story. Brock’s punishment was insufficient to satisfy a left-wing lynch mob that congregated around the case. They focus on identity politics and see Brock as a pampered member of a male white privilege elite. They’re angry at the judge for letting Brock off “so easily”—although his life has been destroyed—and have mobilised a social media campaign to force a recall election (in the US some judges are elected). They needed about 50,000 signatures and have more than double that. The election will take place in June and it looks as if the judge who passed a sentence of “only” six months in jail for Brock will lose his job.
Elected judges in the US now know if a case they are handling has attracted the attention of the culture mob, they risk losing their careers if they don’t submit to its wishes. A letter written by 95 law professors says the recall campaign will make judges in the United States start “ratcheting up sentences” in fear of media campaigns. This is a terrible attack on the independence of the judiciary and is only going to get worse.
There’s a saying that politics flows downstream from culture. In other words, the political decisions of tomorrow are being fought in the culture battles of today. So far the left is fighting the culture wars much more effectively than anyone else, and in the process, casting in the minds of millions a favourable hue on ideologies that have in the past devastated many countries.
On Monday night, left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore gave a speech calling for America to be “cleansed” of its “white male privilege”. The narrative driving the Stanford rape case is revenge against the oppressor, and an unlucky young man from Ohio is the designated victim. Since the left substantially controls mainstream media and academia in the United States, it doesn’t seem there will be any escape from a future filled with its toxic politics.
Tom Paskal is an award winning American journalist, author and screenwriter.