Remembering Matthew Shepard
Thirteen years ago tonight, Matthew Shepard died from a beating at the hands of two homophobes. Although both were convicted and faced the death penalty, it was through the grace of Judy and Dennis Shepard that their lives were spared.
Matthew was targeted for this beating because he was gay. He was taken to a desolate spot outside of Laramie, Wyoming, tortured and beaten, and left for dead. When his body was discovered, the person finding him thought he was looking at a scarecrow.
On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act, in memory of two victims of hate crimes that were murdered in 1998.
For those who think the we’ve come a long way since Matthew’s death, you’re wrong. Hate crimes against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals continue to rise, especially in major metropolitan areas. Just last month, a DC police officers was arrested for assaulting a transgender woman.
We must never forget Matthew Shepard, James Byrd, and the hundreds of other victims of hate crimes that have been murdered. Never Again!!!
Tags: hate crimes, Homophobia, james byrd, matthew shepard
RIP Matthew Shepard – I know that you know the loss of your life was NOT in vain
Your sacrifice in the cold and dark has given warmth and light to the plight of your fellow travellers
your loss – however sad….has propelled these atrocities forward and into the light of day
Thank you for your courage – and scarifice
MJ wrote:
The two men who murdered Mr Shepard both received sentences of life without the possibility of parole, and one of them could have been sentenced to death. (The second man pleaded guilty in exchange for not having to risk capital punishment.) Of the three men who murdered Mr Byrd, two received the death penalty, and the third life without parole.
Given the sentences the murderers received, just how much more do you think the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act could have done to them?
Matthew Shepard was murdered because he was a homosexual. Scott Robins was killed in Philadelphia because his neighbor hated his loud music. Is Mr Robins any less dead? Was his killing somehow more acceptable, or less heinous, because his killer wasn’t shooting him over race or sexual preference?
Of course, murder isn’t always the end result of a hatred-motivated attack, but is it really worse if a man is assaulted because he is black than it is if a man is assaulted because someone wanted to steal his wallet?
Dana, think about what you asked and think about the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and what could have been done to those good old boys down south if a hate crimes statute had been in place. I think that any crime motivated by prejudice deserves to have added punishments.
Is the guy who got beaten up because someone wanted to steal his wallet somehow less injured than the guy who was beaten up because he is black?
The proper thing to do is punish the crime, not try to punish the mind.
both crimes are despicable – however a crime done simply BECAUSE a person is Gay, straight, white,b lack, jewish , female is even more dangerous because it tears at the fabric of our society
It is a crime committed because of WHO a person is – not because of what a person HAS!!
Dana – are you blind to the consequences of that and how that alone will destroy us?
Yes, Dana, it is worse. Motivation obviously matters in criminal proceedings, or we wouldn’t bother distinguishing between various degrees of homicide.
Dana, “hate crime” should just be called “terrorism,” as should “domestic violence.”
The difference is that hate crimes are designed to maintain a political and economic reality that expresses itself against certain people every day… in their employment, in their housing, and in their legal rights. Hate crimes are an extension of majority power against a discriminated class.
They differ from crimes of property in that a crime of property accepts the status quo rather than challenging it, as the EXISTENCE of gay people ( for example) does. If I steal your wallet, I share your appreciation for its value. If I seek to marry your daughter I’ve upset the applecart.
When we acknowledge the reality of “hate crimes” we say, “This country stands for the rule of law in protecting her citizens… even the ones that challenge the dominant paradigm.”
It’s a pretty effin’ awesome thing to say.