MATTHEW SHEPARD
Matthew Shepard was a 21 year old college student
from Casper, Wyoming.
A nice young man, friendly, intelligent, kind to
everyone, and caring about those around him. He was not widely known or
famous in The United States or even in Wyoming, but in October, 1998, he
became known to the whole world.
What he did not achieve in life, he achieved in
death.
Matthew went to a local bar and somehow met two
young men there. For reasons which are unknown, he left the bar with them
and got into their truck and started out of town with them. Before they
had traveled any significant distance, the two men started beating Matthew
on the head with a pistol. They took him to a secluded place outside town
and continued to beat him on the head, as he pleaded for his life. They
then tied him to a deer fence in the spread eagle position, and left him
there in the very cold night. Some eighteen hours later, a passerby spotted
Matthew and at first thought he was a scarecrow, but later determined that
he was a man. The passerby called authorities, and Matthew was rushed to
a hospital where he lingered near death, then despite heroic efforts to
save his life, he died.
The news of his gruesome death and torture spread
throughout the world and electrified the horror and revulsion of people
all around the world. Letters of synpathy flooded the Shepard home, and
US leaders denounced the cruel and intolerant killing, but alas a few people
both in government and especially from "The Religious Right" were
quick to condemn the killing, but to also offer their opinion that their
fiery retoric concerning the sinful nature of homosexuality had nothing
to do with the growing climate of intolerance toward homosexuals in The
United States. Our national leaders spoke of "hate crimes legislation",
while Trent Lott of Mississippi offered his criticism of homeosexuality
and indicated that The Republicans had soundly defeated a hate crimes bill
in the Congress.
Many leaders and spokespersons for "established
right wing religion"offered their theological views of the sinful nature
of homosexuality and tended to infer that perhaps Matthew "got what
he deserved", while outspoken leaders and ordinary people who are gay
spoke of the national shame of intolerance and the trend of increasing intolerance
and hate crimes in The United States.
Matthew Shepard has "gone to a better place"
but all us living have now the moral imperative of the task of working and
praying to achieve the famous objective of the survivors of "The Holocaust"............."NEVER
AGAIN"!
I believe that The United States stands at the
crossroads of decision regarding whether we, as a nation, will live out
the principles of acceptance of all and freedom for all upon which the fabric
of our nation was established. Will we remain a haven for the persecuted
and those who are "different" in some way, or will we become much
like Nazi Germany under The Third Reich, and kill, maim, and persecute those
who have a different view of social life from ours.
Will we allow the religious right to destroy the
idea of separation of church and state, upon which religious freedom was
originally established in this country, and which made posssible the freedom
to practice one's faith as one understood it, or will we by default allow
the establishment of a system whereby religion dictates the scope of our
freedoms, and much like the church of the 1300's , where people who disagreed
with the religious leaders were tortured and/or burned at the stake????
Will we allow our elected representatives to prostrate
themselves before the onslaught of highly vocal and powerful groups who
honestly believe that "might makes right", and in so doing destroy
the marvelous promise and hope of the continuation of our country as the
haven for the oppressed, and the land of liberty?
A CITIZEN
SOLDIER'S LAMENT
A MOTHER REMEMBERS
REMEMBERED FOREVER
MEGAN'S POEM OF FAREWELL
LINKS TO MEMORIALS/OTHER
