Sign Guestbook View Guestbook







Matthew Shepard

(1976 - 1998)

Victim of Hate Crime


How many others will fall prey to our own blind eye attitude towards hate crimes?




Without Prejudice:

As long as hate literature exists, there will always be social intolerance, hatred, and just plain stupidity. The recent murder of Matthew Shepard prompted me to think about this awhile. At first I thought other web pages have sufficiently covered the whole issue of hate crimes and social intolerance. Looking at the many website dedications to Matthew, I thought I could add nothing that would be relevant or that has not all ready been said quite well. I then reconsidered this after running across a few sites I thought are repugnant and repulsive.
I think you should be aware that a warning is required before you view this page I chose to highlight. I believe that the more intelligent and sensitive among us will find this page offending.


Hate Page



Okay, I think you can tell by the use of the incredible vocabulary that this site has no relevant nor redeeming qualities about it already. I am not saying it hasn't a right to its own opinion, but opinion and hate are two totally different things entirely.

Personally, I have never seen a lot of tripe in my life and this goes to the top of the list. Its undefinable lack of intelligence and moral responsibility amazes me.

You will note that the author has used statistics in an effort to sound learned and informed. We can easily see this, uh, person has never learned enough about sexuality - nor about their own gender for that matter. We can tell that they have never read the Kinsey Report, The Joy of Sex, the Kuma Satra, or Hustler magazine. The names of Anne Rice, Harold Robbins, Jackie Collins, or Xavier Hollander are probably not in their library. It's an even bet that Heidi Fleiss, Sidney Biddle Barrows (a/k/a The "Mayflower" Madame), and Terri Jean Bedford, could tell some "straight" stories that would curl the author's teeth. It is a sure thing that this person has never entered a sex shop before as well (there are things in those I can only guess at). Okay, so this person has not obviously done the research of gender sexuality.

In spite of the massive amounts of information regarding AIDS and STD, some people never get it right, or remained stupid till their last breathe. What is worse, they spread the misinformation to others - family, friends, strangers alike. If you cannot put the stats in the correct context, do not say anything at all. This person is basically saying that gay people are responsible for AIDS and are essentially the cause of its spread. Well, forgive me for the reminder, but AIDS and STD is a "people" illness. Never mind that until recently, the spread of AIDS was statistically higher in the straight lifestyle than the gay - not because of sexual promiscuity in straight people, but mainly because there are more of them. AIDS was thought of as a "gay illness" and the straight gender remained uninformed as to the facts of AIDS. AIDS was covered in a "why worry" attitude, until it came through that AIDS was everyone's disease. STD is still a worry in anyone's camp. Professionals are still educating high school kids who are still split between the camps who are informed, uniformed, or don't care.

Using statistics out of context to categorize gay people under one lump lifestyle is just plain wrong: I mean, not only wrong wrong; but wrong - incorrect, fallacy. Racial discriminations of Afro-americans, Native Americans, and Asians are examples of past and present stereotyping through cliches - often with dire consequences. Same goes for the gay orientation. Man, if I had the time to do all this website author says gay people did, I would have no spare time at all. Like straight people, gay people are different from one another in every way. The ONLY difference is who they go to bed with. What they do, how they do it, who they are is as vast as any person.

It is hate literature such as this website that contributes to, not only hatred, but misinformation of the worse type. This kind of hate exists only because we allow it to. Intolerance towards prejudism, racism, and discrimination of any type should be eradicated.





THE HATED



Let's take a look at the two who were arrested for the hate crime against Matthew Shepard and remember their faces. They are only two who will be forever remembered as murderers in the public eye. Russell Arthur Henderson wanted fame and money. Well, he got his fame I would say - as one of the most hated people in the world.




RUSSELL ARTHUR HENDERSON (21)
AARON JAMES McKINNEY (22)

Accessories after the fact:
CHASTITY VERA PASLEY (20)
KIRSTEN LEANN PRICE (18)




Hey, let's say it was all a big mistake:

OOPS








I hope that some of us can recognize that it is everyone who is eventually effected by hate crimes. I highly recommend the following links in memory of Matthew Shepard.

mattshepard

AND

Kevin Funderburk's Page








BACK

HOME



MAIL







This page hosted by GeoCities Get your own Free Home Page