An Open Letter to the Stuebenville Rape Victim

Dear sweet, brave, strong girl,

I don't know if you will ever read this letter, because based on the hateful, disgusting things that people have been posting online, I wouldn't blame you if you would want to avoid the internet forever. But just in case you're out there, there are some things you should know.

You are a hero. You had the courage to stand up for yourself, defend yourself, and speak out even when there were so many people against you. Because of you, those two disgusting scumbags are being punished, and you should be proud. You did what you felt was right for you.

You did nothing wrong. Young people drink. Young people party. Sometimes we have too much and pass out. But that never, ever gives anyone a right to assault someone who's drunk or unconscious. Your bravery has opened up a discussion about rape that will likely encourage victims to acknowledge their assaults, and also reduce the amount of assaults committed.

You don't owe anything to anyone. Sweet girl, I wish I could give you a giant hug and feed you lots of tasty junk food while we sat on the couch and watched stupid comedies. I wish I could give you something that could help you to heal. I know you're probably heartbroken, desolate, depressed, scared, and anxious. I know that you're probably having panic attacks and crying yourself to sleep at night. You are perfectly entitled to feel that way and to do whatever it is you need to do that will allow you to heal. I just want you to know that there are millions of girls and women all over the world who believe in you, support you, and want to see you become the best that you can be.

You're an amazing, beautiful, incredible person, and you're so much more than what happened to you. Those worthless, degenerate pigs who hurt you are in for a world of pain. They made the decision to hurt you, and they deserve every nasty thing that is coming their way. But you... you have the opportunity now to heal. It may take a while, and no one is telling you that you have to get over it immediately. Take as long as you want and do whatever you need. In the end, you are the one who has triumphed, and you need to know that. You have an incredible amount of strength inside of you to put those disgusting scumbags away, and now you can use that strength to become even more powerful.

You are not alone. There are millions of women and girls just like you who understand what you've been through. We're all here for you and we want you to know that we love you. We want to thank you for your bravery, your maturity, and your determination. We will fight for you.