**UPDATE**Don't forget to sign your name to your post! I have more than one class at a time posting to various blogs, wikis, and whatnot, and my elderly brain cannot keep track of everyone's handle. Put at least your first name and last initial so I can record your grade.
Please post your response to one of the questions below by Saturday, April 3, at 8 a.m. Then respond to 1 of your colleagues by Sunday, April 4 at 10 p.m. Your comments should be substantive and thoughtful. Try to elaborate on your ideas, and explain why you think about things the way you do.
I can't find transcripts from McKinney's trial online; here's a story about the defense from the New York Times.
image published by Xnatedawgx under a creative commons attribution/share alike license
- Many people were particularly upset that Matthew Sheperd was murdered because he was gay. Do you think there's something particularly bad about crime when it's aimed at someone because of their inherent characteristics (like their race, ethnicity, gender) rather than, say, because you got in a fight over something with them? Why or why not?
- What ideas and assumptions do you think the young men had, that made them react the way they did to Matthew?
I can't find transcripts from McKinney's trial online; here's a story about the defense from the New York Times.
image published by Xnatedawgx under a creative commons attribution/share alike license
Hating a person solely based on the different ideologies or levels of melatonin, estrogen, and testosterone hormones is baseless. These people are ignorant first of all. A hate crime does not need to be committed for injustice; the thought of hate is already suffice. People who hate are ignorant and very naive to say the least. When these ignorant people commit hate crimes, it reminds me of a child playing with match sticks in a hay stack. They do not know any better or the effect of that "match stick" if lit. A whole community could be engulfed by fire with just one match stick, like how one act of hate will create a shock wave reverberating though out the town.
ReplyDeleteHate crimes are personal there is no doubt about it, whereas other crimes are usually committed for other means. For one it is the personal aspect of the crime I believe why it is such a heinous crime, for two the hate is fueled by pure ignorance. Putting the two together you get a definition or retardation. “I hate you, because you are blue and I am going to beat the blue out of you.”
Hate crimes are like of terrorism, one of the worst crimes that can be committed on a population. For one these crimes instill fear, for two they want the victims to know that they are hated, and for three they want the victims to know that they are beneath them and worthless. Hate crimes can range from physiological assaults and physical assaults.
Verbal hate crimes hold the same level of magnitude, though little can be done about it. Freedom of speech is protected under the 1st Amendment.
Applying the “Golden Mean,” let us see if these acts are virtuous, with respect to the ignorance. Hypothetically speaking let us say these acts are reasonable, with that said, these acts are still not virtuous because it is to an extreme.
In conclusion Hate Crimes are one of the worst crimes, because it is personal, baseless and instill terror.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere's a part in the film when one of the interviewers asks a couple from laramie as to why they think these two men might be homophobic. I think it was an important scene in the film because everyone in the town keeps talking about what laramie is like and the whole idea of live and let live but what i found most ineresting was that they didnt understand why these kids might have grown to fear gay people. I belive they said that they didnt care if someone was gay as long as they didnt go around flaunting it but they believed that homosexuality is wrong. It's something that I think we see all the time. People claim to be okay with homosexuality and even might have gay friends but when it comes down to it, they still believe that its wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty clear that the young men would get the assumptions from the people who surrounded them. If you go to church and in his sermon, the priest says that homosexuality is wrong then if youre the kind of person who is usually told what to like or dislike or approve and disapprove of then what else are you supposed to think. In a broader perspective I thought of these two young men who live in this small town in a nation that fears homosexuality. It's not just Laramie, its hundreds of other small towns across the nation, states even, who dont approve of homosexuality.
The extent to which the two young men beat Matthew, in my opinion, shows fear. It's a huge fear of the unknown and if you live and let live and never talk about people who are gay and what it means, then you assume the worst. Their ignorance made them afraid of matthew, they didnt know any better. It's sad but it's what happens when people dont talk about things. I grew up in a racist and homophobic home but I was fortunate enough to have found moral exemplars in teachers that helped me not become a racist homophobe. What these young men didnt have were moral exemplars.
Julio
I do think there is something particularly heinous when a crime is committed because stereotypes associated with inherent characteristics. When a crime is committed because of intrinsic personal characteristics the offender associates with skin color, religion, or gender then it is a crime that should put fear in us all. It was not clear in The Laramie Project exactly what the two young men, who killed Matt Sheppard, were stereotyping about Matt and homosexuality. McKinney, in his confession, said that Matt’s alleged “come on” was the first one that had ever happened to him. We never heard him say anything derogatory about homosexuality except the words “fag and homo.” McKinney did not rally a homophobic agenda (like the Reverend Phelps did outside the trial) he said “he just didn’t like it” when Matt supposedly touched him. But he associated something with homosexuality and beat Matt to unconsciousness and ultimately death. But, again it wasn’t clear what exactly produced such strong reaction to Matt’s advance. It would obviously be chaos, pandemonium, and madness if every time someone made an unwanted advance we beat them to death, or had the option of beating them to death.
ReplyDeleteWhen a crime is committed out of hate and fear due to stereo typing that is very different then a crime committed out of passion or reaction to an situation (ie: bar fight.) Hate directed at any group of people based on just one characteristic that group shares doesn’t take into consideration the individual morality and spirit of the people that are part of that group. It is a scary world when violence can be resorted to because a person doesn’t like one characteristics that overshadows all other qualities a person embodies. The fact that Matt was gay was one of many qualities that made him distinctive and unique.
I feel that hate crimes are more offensive because no person should be persecuted for their identity. If we as a society allowed people to attack certain individuals on account of their inherent characteristics (race, ethnicity) or personal beliefs (religion, sexuality), we would be setting a dangerous precedent. This kind of intolerance has a way of breeding and creating horrific large-scale campaigns against groups of people. Examples of this would be religious persecution or ethnic cleansing.
ReplyDeleteHate crimes, whether on a large scale or between two individuals, are generally unacceptable because such attacks motivated solely by an individual’s identity violate that person’s basic rights. Every person is entitled to certain rights as a human being. Although these are universal rights that should transcend government authority, these rights are nonetheless guaranteed by the United States Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
In a nutshell, all people have just as much right to life, freedom and prosperity as anyone else. By persecuting homosexuals, commitors of anti-gay hate crimes are essentially creating an atmosphere where homosexuals have less right to live freely than heterosexuals.
In the movie, they mentioned that even a year after Matthew Shepard’s murder, hate crime laws had still not been extended to protect homosexuals. I believe that this has to do with the belief of many people that homosexuality is a personal preference, and not an inherent characteristic. But that is a different debate!
yes i do believe that hate crimes are bad because its a deliberate act against someone over something that they have no control over, like your race or gender as an example. Hate crimes are acts of ignorance and what gives you the right to attack someone based on who they are or how they choose to live their life.
ReplyDeleteThis is different from getting into a fight with someone over something because you are fighting for an irrelevant cause. Say for instance you attack someone because he/she bump into you, you didn't know that was going to happen, but with a hate crime, you deliberately already know your actions if you see someone that you detest. Hate crimes can be like a terrorist attack because you aim to attack someone or a country based on their characteristics.
We are given this life and its our choice of how we want to live and no one else. During the interviews with the people of Laramie, they all try to make it seem like Laramie was the perfect town as if they were the model of how people should live. I don't understand why they don't think that an act like this will be from people from their own town. After all, they were taught that homosexuality is wrong. If that's what the town was taught then a person who is homosexual would be terrified to reveal themselves. Everyone is different and that's what make this world so intriguing because if everyone was the same, the world would be a dull place to live in.
You can find ways to resolve attacks by saying I'm sorry i bump into you or well i seen you signaling for this parking space first so you can have it, but with a hate crime, you can't be like oh i am sorry that i am a person of color or i am a woman, let me change that. Everyone should be able to express who they are, after all we all have rights, who is to take away our right to be who we are.
Hate crimes are acts of pure evil intentions and crimes of this nature is just pure ignorance and immaturity. These acts have no virtues or essence, it just shows that you are an animal with a pebble for a brain. People committing hate crimes need to learn and open up their eyes that there are far more important things in this world than to have a grudge over petty things like this.
I definitely feel that hate crime itself is bad. I believe that if people have conflict with each other, they should solve it by discussing the problem, rather than resolving to violence. Race, ethnicity, gender, or being gay isn’t based on what you want, it’s what God has given you. You have to be grateful that you are actually living on this earth. When people start riots, many of them have to do with hate crimes that are unnecessary. It involves innocent people who end up being harassed, beaten, threatened, or even killed in some cases. I believe that if there’s conflict between two parties, then yes, both sides have different reasons of why they aren’t getting along. Hate crimes are never acceptable due to what background many have come from. Since each individual has a unique way of carrying themselves, we should all be thankful that we are granted life long lessons from others who have had experiences so we can learn from them everyday. In the movie, one of the men used the phrase “Gay panic” against the killing of Matthew Shepard.
ReplyDeleteI believe that they had a case of homophobia. I don’t understand why those two men chose to harm Matthew due to his homosexuality. It’s a free country, and each and every individual has the choice to like the same or opposite sex if they please. I assume that they didn’t like him for who he was. In life, not everyone is going to get along with each other regardless if they get to know one another or not. The two men chose to Rob, kidnap, and beat Matthew while he begged for his life. I assume that the two men believed they would be able to get away with this hate crime because they figured that others besides themselves, had hatred towards homosexuals as well.
There are many homosexuals in the world. By killing one, doesn’t solve anything besides heartache and pain for those who loved that person. Those who are anti-gay should understand and accept the fact that others are “different” from them, that includes sexuality. Even though I am attracted to the opposite sex, I enjoy spending time with my homosexual friends. They bring joy to my life regardless of their sexual orientation.
Hating a person because of their inherent characteristics or ideologies is very wrong. There are people out in the world who are racist and ethnocentric. Hating anyone because of the color of their skin, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or life style. Murdering of causing harm to someone because they are different is considered a hate crime. Those who commit hate crimes are ignorant and threaten by their victims, which cause them to become very violent towards them.
ReplyDeleteThe major problem with people committing hate crimes is the origins of their anger towards their victims. The hatred originated from their elders (such as parents, grand-parents, community leaders) bigotry that influence their youth. In Laramie Wyoming,two young men pick up Mathew Sheperd from the bar, tied him up on a fence post, brutally beat him, and left him for dead because he is gay. The young men develop their hatred towards gays from their upbringing, influenced by the adults norms and values. The Laramie case is a wake-up call to America that hate crimes still exist and a major problem in society. Their are people in society who are risking their lives going out in public. Always looking over their shoulder because they are afraid of being the next victim of a hate crime. To make a person so afraid for being who they are is not right. I would like to live in a society where people are not regarded as inferior or abominations and fall to hate crimes because of their differences.
I believe hate crimes and crimes in general are simply bad period; whether it is based on your inherent characteristics or just to fight because of a conflict or argument among two individuals. The hate crimes over ethnicity, religion, or personal characteristics are very crucial, people shouldn’t be judged for who they are or what they are in this world. Having hatred twords Gays/Lesbians is a common situation in America that involves a lot of crime twords them. They suffer a lot of judgmental criticism along with people fighting them for being Gay. As of fighting crimes, yeah its bad BUT not as bad as getting fought over your inherent characteristics.
ReplyDeleteI think the two young men reacted to this in such way because their town doesn’t believe in that sort of gender (Gay). The people that live there seem so aggravated twords them, and maybe these two guys grew up with that mentality that made them react this way. I remember one of the interviews a guy saying their animals! I just felt really disgusted with such hatred. Mathew didn’t disserve such death or crime that was committed by these two young men. Yes, he probably did the wrong thing by “touching” the guy in way he doesn’t like, but this could have been handled in a different type of way.
-Jessica B.
I do feel that there is something particularly bad about a crime when it’s aimed at someone because of their inherent characteristics. No one has a true say as to what their identity will be, physically and emotionally; you don’t get to choose your race, ethnicity, gender, eye color, natural hair color, or even sexual orientation. Crimes committed based on these factors as well as many others are based on discrimination and negative stereotyping against a particular type of group(s).
ReplyDeleteThere’s no doubt in my mind that hate crimes have something particularly bad about them in comparison to one getting in a fight over something with someone. I feel that with hate crimes, being as they are based on a more personal level for the one committing the crime in the first place, you have a higher intention to committing a crime such as murder and even premeditated murder.
Hate crimes are committed by benighted people who let their emotions and fear get take over in heinous acts of crime. I feel that people who commit hate crimes, have major psychological issues that they need to address, such as a fear against Gays and Lesbians. Those people have all this hatred and rage against a particular person or group because of their characteristics and beings, and personally I think they try to use that as an excuse to committing such acts of violence. Matthew Shepard, a gay man, was the victim of a heinous crime. His murders, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson’s had basically told officials that they had committed the crime as a result of Matt supposedly “making a pass” and “touching” them. To me, I feel that they only used that story to try to cover up the fact that they committed the crime because Matt was gay. Regardless of someone’s being, no crime of any sort should ever be committed in my opinion, and no one should ever have to go through death as Matt did.
I think it's wrong when a crime is aimed at someone because of their inherent characteristics. I think it's wrong for people to hate someone because of their inherent characteristics so much that they commit a crime. It's very childish and it's the same issue with racism. People can't get over the fact that because someone look the way they do, they have to hate them because they're "different". We are all human. We all breathe the same air, live on the same planet, and we are all 99.9% identical. We are all practically the same.
ReplyDeleteThe paths that people choose are their own business. I personally am against homosexuality, but I don't hate them. I would feel uncomfortable if, say, I was at a gay bar or something, but I wouldn't try to kill them. They are still people. It's not my job to go and take someone's life because of their inherent characteristics. That's God's job. Too many people today are forgetting that fact. I mean, God gave us life, what makes it right for us to decide who lives and who dies?
Maria C. Diaz
ReplyDeleteCrime is definitely a horrible thing. And murder ofcourse is one of thee worst crimes out there, whether it was done based on some kind of fight or inherent characteristics.
Crime that is aimed at someone based on one of their characteristics is just completely unfair, and unforgivable. When someone commits such a crime I honestly feel that they are completely ignorant. They are unaware and non-acceptant of the immense diversity that we have in this world. We definitely have cruel, cruel, heartless people that don't care to look and think outside of what they are used to. Thinking badly about someone is indeed bad and I surely dissaprove of it but as we all know people will always be judgemental and there's really nothing we can do about it. So yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but nobody should ever take it to the point of verbally or physically harrassing someone. It is just unacceptable.
Matthew Sheperd's case was really just incredibly sad. I fully agree with those were upset with what happened and I am overwhelmingly disgusted with a lot of the rude remarks that people had about gay people. It just makes me angry to think about how mean people can be towards others. Everyone is different in their own way, whether it be the color of our skin, what we believe in, or how we identify ourselves as, but ultimately we are human beings that share the same world. Its a shame how we can't just all get along.
The possible assumptions that Mckiney and Henderson had on Matthew was that since he's homosexual, he would try to hit on them and that arose fear in them. Their idea was that if they'd beat him, then he wouldn't try to hit on them. Although they were entoxicated, you can hardly blame it on that, your responsible for your own actions.
ReplyDeleteComing from a society which finds homosexuality to be a "sin" and be frowned upon, they both feared that they might be looked at as homosexual and that possibly they could be. Assuming that they weren't could still build thought in their head and in doing so begin to question their sexuality. All that thought from just seeing Matthew stroke fear in their hearts and to make theirselves feel better they decided to take their frustration out on Matthew. Not only fear but possibly the society which teaches our young ones that homosexuality is a "sin" in the bible and that homosexuals go to hell.
^^^^^
ReplyDeleteTommy Saefong
I think that it is definitely wrong to have a crime against someone that is a different race than you, a different sexual orientation than you, or even if they’re a different gender. People say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so you shouldn’t judge a person based on their looks or how they act. Everyone is born the way they are, so people that hate against them should accept them for whom they are. Many people say that being gay is something that they choose to be, but I feel that it is how they were brought into this world, and people should learn to accept them. A crime based on race, ethnicity, gender and so on is considered as negative stereotyping, which happens everywhere.
ReplyDeleteComparing between a crime based on inherent characteristics and being in a fight over something should not even be a comparison. When fighting over something, the people in the argument should talk things out and come to a conclusion; cause there is other ways in solving problems other than fighting. On the other hand, hating against someone cause of inherent characteristics is one thing in this world that is hard to stop and has been going on for many years.
If being a gay or a lesbian makes them happy, then I think they should go for it. Having to always worry about what other people think makes it seem like they could never live the life that they want. America is a free country, so gays and lesbians should be free to live like they want without having someone to hate against them for who they are.
Hate crimes, I think are a lot worse than just the normal sort of crime because they’re crimes targeted toward innocent people for things that they have no control over. And we know from history how horrendous these crimes can be.
ReplyDeleteHate crimes don’t have any real justification or reason for why people commit them. I’m not saying that killing is justifiable but a person can definitely have good reason for why they would be driven to do so. For example, a father whose son was murdered would definitely have good reason for why he would kill the murderer. But even less extreme, we could understand why someone would hurt someone else for some sound reason. Like a husband who beats someone up for spitting at his wife. In cases like this, there is at least enough reason for why these people would be driven to their crime. But when someone commits a crime with no sound reason, merely based on their own hatred for some certain quality that a person possesses, like in the murder of Matthew Shepard for being gay, the crime is particularly much worse, because there’s no real reason to support the crime.
Of course, there can also be similar cases where somebody is murdered for no reason at all, and still not be particularly as bad as a hate crime. For example, a deranged man could decide to beat someone to death, choosing the person closest to him while not having any reason for beating the person to death. But the difference between the Matthew Shepard case and this one is that the deranged man chose the person at random and the two murderers of Matthew Shepard chose Matthew for his sexual orientation. The first case- like many other unfortunate cases where people are victims of violence, for no good reason- happens by chance while the crime on Matthew Shepard happens by prejudice.
It’s worse because hate crimes have specific targets chosen by prejudice. These crimes aren’t just some sort of accident, the targets are chosen based on qualities inherent to them and the crimes are committed for no good reason. Matthew Shepard was killed for being gay, and that’s it. He didn’t provoke his murders, and even if he had flirted with them, it still wouldn’t be reason enough to kill him for it.
History shows us to a great extent of how wrong, crimes committed by prejudice are. As we have seen with the attempted genocide of Jewish people- just for being Jewish- by the Nazis and the enslavement of African Americans for the color of their skin. And so we can see why crimes committed by prejudice are much worse than ordinary crimes, because these crimes are targeted toward innocent people, and they don’t have a single good reason to support the action.
There is a definite difference between, for instance, causing physical harm to a person because of circumstances or due to inherent characteristics. In the first case, a person might feel immediately justified in his anger, because of an action his provocateur took, and choose to punish the victim accordingly. In the second case, a person does not have any justification against his enemy personally; he merely perceives a characteristic of the other person to be “wrong” and decides or probably already feels that his opinion of the matter is correct, and chooses to punish the victim for being wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn the first case, the victim has something to do with the fighter’s anger. He has to have done something to be deserving of the other’s reaction. This means that the person made a choice which lead to the consequence, i.e. an argument or fight. Reasonable people, in this case, can come to an agreement through compromise or an admission of wrong with an apology, and they can walk away from the fight. If the fighter is so deeply offended by the victim’s action that he wishes to fight anyway, or because it’s in his nature, the situation is still different from that of a crime motivated by hate.
In the second case, the instigator goes into the situation with preconceived ideas about qualities a person can possess, and, seeing one such quality in another, applies his ideas to the situation. When the idea is that the victim is deserving of punishment for what he IS, not what he does in the situation, there is nothing the victim can say or do to dissuade the instigator from his beliefs; the outcome of the encounter cannot be changed by personal interaction between the two people because the former believes the latter to be absolutely wrong. If the first person is motivated by hate, then the other person has no say in the situation, and the two are at an impasse, which would only be aggravated by prolonged interaction and could only be resolved by the second man leaving or the first man attacking.
In the case of Matthew Sheperd, the two men who attacked him had a deep-seated dislike of homosexuality, and upon meeting him chose to see him not as an individual possessing a life as important as their own, but as something disgusting, worthy of their ire. They targeted him, and later testified that they decided before leaving the bar with him that they would take him away and beat him. Clearly, nothing that Sheperd said or could have said had any weight in the situation, because after the ride they followed through with their choice based on a blind hatred. These men were beyond using reason to make their decisions.
This case is made more difficult by the fact that the men claimed that Sheperd attempted to initiate sexual relations with one or both of them; it could be argued, then, that Sheperd took actions which caused the deserved anger of the two men. However, this claim isn’t solid because the men, upon questioning, made it seem that Sheperd didn’t “hit on” them until they lied to him and said that they were gay. In that case, the men deceived him in order to get him to go with him to their car, in which they kidnapped him and took him to a far-removed location and brutally beat him. That makes it clear that the men were not truly motivated by Sheperd’s actions, but by a hatred that made it clear that if any man did the small things that Sheperd did in a similar circumstance, he too would have been targeted.
Hate crimes are committed for different reasons than that those of ordinary crime. They are done against an idea, not an individual. Being the victim of a hate crime leaves the person with no way out, because the criminals don’t see the victim as a human, but as the manifestation of something deserving of hatred. This hatred causes no random act of violence; it provides a justification to hurt certain types of people, and it leads to many instances of violence against people for simply being who they are. These crimes should be recognized as and dealt with differently than normal crimes.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteVery good comments - you're bringing up some very important ideas.
Anthony mentioned a point that's central to what proponents of hate crimes legislation claim - that a hate crime is particularly bad because it's a way of trying to terrorize a whole group. That would be something interesting for everyone to think about, expand on, and debate in your discussion.
Several of you picked up on the idea that hate crimes target an identity and not an act, and you've got a good conversation going about why this is more chilling. That would be another good avenue to keep exploring. (Colleen has an especially well developed discussion of that point).
Finally: I can't remember who warpigsalone is. Don't forget to sign your posts, I can't keep track of everyone in all my classes :-) Just post again with your handle and your real name.
Thanks, all - keep up the great work, and have a great break!
On the other question, Tommy has raised some good points about how the young men might have felt their own identity threatened because of the complicated intersections of the ways they were raised. That would be another good issue to keep exploring in your discussion.
ReplyDeleteTo Sophia,
ReplyDeleteA bill has been passed, "Matthew Shepard Act,"
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ReplyDeleteTo Sophia,
ReplyDeleteYour Rights are not guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence. The D of I was a letter drafted by Thomas Jefferson to Great Britain, declaring Independence.
Our Rights are Guaranteed by the Bill or Rights. Just so you know, not the Deceleration of Independence.
Alexis and warpigsalone have also made some nice Utilitarian arguments about the social damage done by hate crimes (we're getting to Utilitarianism right after Kant). So another nice idea to pursue as you push forward the discussion.
ReplyDeleteThat language in the Declaration has been important in terms of the way we've interpreted the Amendments to the Constitution, especially the 14th, though :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Bill of Rights refers to the first 10 amendments to the constitution. They were ratified in 1789, during the first congress of the U.S. Lots of good stuff in there, like your rights to freedom of religious belief, freedom of speech, and freedom from being forced to quarter troops in your house, but later amendments are also central to the rights we take for granted now. The 14th, 15th, and 19th are especially nice ones.
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ReplyDeleteTo Thom,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that hate crimes are in a way premeditated attacks. Normal crimes usually happen in the spur of the moment, or when an argument ensues with lets say a bump, it is all spontaneous. But if you already hate a person, then you don't need to bump into them for an argument to occur, seeing them can spark this argument.
Where it gets tricky is this, is hate speech protected under free speech? What kinds of speeches are not protected if it causes clear and present danger. So yelling fire in a movie theater or bomb on an airplane is not protected under free speech. But what if you yell fag in a movie theater or fag on an airplane?
@ Maria Diaz
ReplyDeleteYes, I am agree with you, gay crime or ethnicity crime are crimes committed because people are ignorant. This is a big issue, and it will be hard to stop. Parents have to educated their children, they have to let them know that we live in a diversity world, where we have to respect every single person.Gay people have to have the same right that every citizen has, because they are humans, and they deserve to be treaty with dignity and respect.
In response to the second question, I think the young men reacted the way they did because they were taught homosexuality is wrong. I noticed many residents of Laramie tried to distance themselves from the crime by saying, people of Laramie are warm loving people, they don’t have a problem with gay people…yada yada yada…but that’s not true they were only saying that for television purposes. I don’t know if it’s just me, but Laramie seemed like one of those typical small christian towns. A town where people know you and your family, and a town where people generally go to church on Sundays. The pastor himself was preaching that homosexuality is wrong, so it doesn’t make any sense to me why the residents would differ in opinion. I can already imagine a scene in church now,(pastor) homosexuality is wrong…it’s a crime,a sickening act…(church goers) “AMEN.” There is an underlying opinion by many religious individuals that God hates fags. They tend to believe that homosexuality is a social disgrace or a form of mental illness. The young men likely had this belief built up inside of them. I don’t know if Matthew really approached them in a sexual way, but I do know that many heterosexual men fear being approached romantically by someone of the same sex. Things are changing slowly but surely here in California, but in many small towns like Laramie, homosexuality is something you generally wanna keep to yourself. There is a fear or social stigma of being labeled homosexual. If Matthew came on to the young men or looked at them in a way they didn’t approve, they probably wanted to teach him a lesson. Although their actions were not justified, that night in the bar they likely felt their pride was under attack.
ReplyDeleteI usually have a lot to write in our class topics (I really just care about my points/grade), but I don't have all that much to say in this particular case.
ReplyDeleteFor the first prompt all I have to say is that I think that crime is crime is crime. To take another person’s life, for whatever reason, is the most serious offense against humanity and G-d (if you are a person of faith). There are very few reasons for it not to be a crime; life is not ours to take so lightly that we think we can give and take it away at will. Hatred and anger because of intolerance and ignorance provide no excuse.
For the second prompt I only have speculation and questions more than anything else.
I’ve never felt such an intense amount of anger and hatred that I’d want to do what McKinney and Henderson did. Hatred like that is planted and grown for many years; they didn’t just start to hate gays from one brief encounter in a bar. I do not understand it at all, but I do not hate the things I don’t understand. I feel sorry for all the people out there who are just like them.
I believe it is never okay to murder someone for any reson. Whether it be because someone is different or you just got into a fight. It is sad that those men killed because he was gay. I do believe that any murder is just as important , a life is a life. I think sometimes people want to look for the biggest situations that would make the biggest headlines. Just like the wife of the police officer said when a fellow officer was killed he only got a small aarticle in the paper. Dont get me wrong I strongly believe that those men who killed Matthew deserve what they get but I do feel the world wants to hear about exciting stories also.
ReplyDeleteB. Hall
It was interesting for me to really think about how stereotyping happens daily. If I am walking down the street and 3 young adult males come walking toward me I will start instantly running scenarios through my head of what might happen and that fear is based on stereotypes and interaction I’ve personal had and what I’ve been exposed to through popular culture. I will feel and perceive a possible threat to me, again, based on stereotypes and my past experiences. If I am on the Contra Costa Campus and these 3 young men come walking towards me then my fear is very low and I don’t run scenarios and default stereotypes through my mind. But, if I’m on a jogging path and these 3 young adult men come walking towards me my fight or flight response will kick into gear. Most times these 3 young men will walk by and have no interest in me. But, one time many years ago, these 3 young men did harass me and now I have stereotypes of young adult men. Not that these emotions come up very often, but, in the right situation I can feel the fear all over again. My point is that sometimes stereotypes do have real basis. I don’t think my story has much to do with the Matt Sheppard case and the stereotypes at play that caused the cataclysmic events. I want to extend the conversation and make the point that a stereotype can have legitimate roots. I know my issue should just be with those 3 young adult men who I meet that day on the jogging path but it just doesn’t work that way in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI think hate crimes are worse than regular crimes simply because the bad aspects go deeper than the crime itself. Someone beats someone because he stole his cell phone. Fine. Someone beats someone because he is (insert race, characteristic) and it becomes a case of "how were you raised, what if this was you/a loved one" and everything just seems so much worse because hate is just a terrible thing. Especially in a society where some people believe equality is more than a silly concept. People need to be taught to be more tolerant, and while I don't think tossing in a hate crime charge into a crime should automatically add a life sentence, I do think that there should be harsher consequences.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to sign your names, y'all!
ReplyDeletePandaLoveo715 (J. Omaque):
ReplyDeleteI agree how you said a lot of people are afraid to "come out," even though I also believe those people should actually be comfortable enough to express themselves as well. Discrimination, is always going to be around, because there will always be those groups of people who will continue to discriminate against people that are different from them, and also who are alike but don't want others to know, thinking they can just "brush-it-off."
BeniciaH,
ReplyDelete"I believe it is never okay to murder someone for any reson."
I must say I respectfully disagree. Situations are always dynamic and there is never a clear cut answer. Sometimes defending yourself justifies an extinguish of life.
Lets say there is a psychopathic maniac armed with an AR15 fully automatically rifle, shooting into a crowd of people at a busy morning cafe. How can you resolve this treat? Talk? Negotiations do not work when the person is disturbed.
I agree with you that any type of murder is just as important as the other. But its the media that chooses what to air. Like how young black males are being killed in urban neighbor hoods but are not highly reported if it was a young white female.
@ Jennifer N.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add some stuff to what you said about gays/lesbians worrying about what other people think of them and not being able to live the life that they want. I think everyone today worries too much about what other people think about them. Our society has taught us that we are judged by the way we look and act. Even back in grade school where all the "cool" kids stayed away from all the "nerdy" ones.
And to add to what Joan said about stereotyping,
I wouldn't call it stereotyping, I think it's more based on fear. Just like if a kid was bitten by a dog, they become scared of all dogs the rest of their life.
Benicia,
ReplyDeleteShould McKinney and Henderson be capitally punished?
AliceLu,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, we should not be embarrassed about who we are and that social pressures makes us lean in a certain direction. Soon however we reach adult hood and for the most of us, grow up.
In the case of Matthew, he did come out without fear, yet he got murdered for it. I think in times like this more and more people should come out and not be scared, because you are giving power to these "haters," if you remain silent. Speak out against injustice, for change to happen, being silent is dose not bring revolution.
Response to Joan H,
ReplyDeleteI too find it interesting to think about how stereotyping happens on a daily basis. With out a doubt we all stereotype, we all know it is bad but we can't help it. We stereotype either because of a specific encounters we have had with a group of people, because of what has been put in our heads as young children, or because of what we now see in the media.
Stereotyping is definitely part of our daily thoughts. I can honestly think of a whole bunch of sterotypical remarks right off the top of my head. Some are mean, and some are very offensive, but it is also important to recognize that they are just stereotypes. I don't necesarily believe in each and every one. I actually think it is rather impossible for an entire group of people to actually fit a stereotype.
--Maria C. Diaz
@ Anthony Hoang's response to Benicia
ReplyDeleteThe response "I believe it is never okay to murder someone for any reson." i'd have to say I agree that the value of ones life is important. You'd have to really consider what that person has done in their life to deserve death. Although that one persons life may be putting other lives in jeopardy, you cannot just kill them specifically for that reason. People make mistakes and to learn you gotta make mistakes, no ones perfect.
@ Joan H.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that you should feel that way after being harassed, but with the way things went with Mckiney and Henderson, you would assume that they've never been harassed considering that they haven't mentioned any previous memory of being harassed by a homosexual. You can slightly understand how Mckiney and Henderson would feel if they've seen a homosexual. Even if they've been harassed before(not saying that they did but,) acting as they way they did was uncalled for.
-Tommy Saefong
@ Maria
ReplyDeleteYou are right that there are people in society that are unaware and non-acceptant of the immense diversity. People will always be judgmental towards others, no doubt about that. The only thing we can do is teach tolerance in our society. Adults tend to be more stubborn which makes it harder to change their opinion towards others. Hatred towards others is usually originated in youth by picking up parents, community leaders, or other adults in their lives, through norms, values, and observation. B influencing the youth to be tolerant towards others well slowly diminish the number of hate crimes and inequality through each generation. I believe that teaching our youth tolerance and morals will lead to a peaceful future.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo Alice Lu,
ReplyDeleteI share the idea that God gave us life and he is the only one that can take it away. However, we’re not 99.9 % equal, we’re raised different and therefore have different values, morals, and also DNA traits. Because of all these differences, its hard to understand each other acting the wrong way between us. I don’t see anything wrong with being homesexual, it’s just another sexual path, and as long we don’t interfere with someone’s rights, we can live the way we pleased to live.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Anthony’s first comment; I totally 100% believe people that hate based on other individuals personal characteristics are ignorant; their pointless . As much as they’re against the opposite of what they are, there’s a lot of Gay communities and different colored skin people taking over many positions in this world. Even though there is no type of law protecting us over the hate crimes, these good individuals are still getting their word told in the U.S. by protests, walk-outs, all sorts of ways to stop all the hate crimes and racial discrimination. And for the Laramie citizens, their honestly ignorant for raising their kids with a mentality that sets them against many things that are going on in the real world. Their the ones going to hell, not Mathew!
ReplyDelete(I missed a couple of things on the first post)
Hi Anthony,
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, I do know that the Matthew Shepard act was eventually passed. When I mentioned the part in the film that referred to the absence of legislation that had occurred within a year of Matthew's death, the point I was making is our lawmakers' inaction shows that there is something different about anti-gay hate crimes. Although Matthew was murdered in 1998, the Matthew Shepard Act didn't become law until over a decade later in 2009. By contrast, Laci Peterson and her fetus were murdered in 2002 and the law named after them got signed into law about a year and a half later. After a 7-year old girl named Megan was abducted and murdered in 1994, there was a Megan's Law in her state that same year.
Even though most of us in this class are responding to this blog under the given that this was a hate crime, as recently as last year there were still members of Congress who alleged that labeling Matthew's murder a hate crime was a "hoax".
I'm bringing this up because I think it relates to both questions posed in this blog. Even though I think the vast majority of citizens in this country would denounce racially-motivated hate crimes (like lynching), the repeated resistance to passing the Matthew Shepard Act is evidence that there are still many others who would refuse to believe murdering a man for his sexuality is as heinous a crime. I believe that relates to assumptions held by some about homosexuals.
Julio stated in a post above that many citizens of Laramie probably thought that the gay lifestyle was "wrong". To me, that's the same as saying that people assume that being gay (and being involved with whatever actions and supposed morals are associated) is a choice. You wouldn't be able to say that an African-American man is "wrong" just for his skin color, and you wouldn't call a woman "wrong" for her gender. In the film, there were plenty of people presented who expressed the opinion that homosexuality was a sin. Sins are individual actions that you can choose whether or not to do, not inherent characteristics. I think this assumption about being gay, that it's not an inherent trait but instead basically amounts to making bad moral choices, is one of the basic assumptions about homosexuals that leads to discrimination against them, whether you are attacking one in a field or in Congress.
To: cs Tommy
ReplyDeleteI don’t think they beat him because they feared being homosexual. In the movie they said that they approached him first and later left. If they feared that Matthew was going to hit on them then they wouldn’t have returned again to talk to him, and they definitely wouldn’t have offered him a ride home. They would have kept their distance or set him straight, if he had tried to hit on them when they first met. I think that they planned the attack ahead of time. (I remember them saying this but I can’t remember for sure). You raise a few good points though. Being intoxicated is no excuse for how people behave. I always hear people say that they don’t remember a thing the day after being intoxicated as an excuse for what they did the night before. But to use the same excuse time and time again means that they know how they’re going to behave but just don’t care enough to be responsible. I also think that the way people behave when they are intoxicated reflects their inner thoughts and habits. When people are intoxicated their inner thoughts and habits aren’t inhibited like they are when they’re sober. I think this is one of the main reasons why McKinney and Henderson beat Matthew, because they weren’t acting with sound judgment. But like we both can agree, being drunk is no excuse, especially if you know or have been told how you get when you drunk. Another good point you raised was about how their town viewed homosexuality. This only serves to instill and reinforce the kind of thoughts that McKinney and Henderson had about homosexuals which can definitely lead to bad habits and bad decisions. And lastly, your point about McKinney and Henderson’s frustration is a probable reason for why they beat Matthew. Besides harboring hatred for gay people, Matthew’s success and possessions could only have added to their hatred towards him, particularly if Matthew was in a better position than they were. Them taking his shoes could have been symbolic for this; taking from Mathew the things that they wished they had.
Javier Agripino
To Julio,
ReplyDeleteI agree with some of the things you said. I too found it interesting that the folks in the town could not give a reason why they thought the young men reacted in such a way. Obviously, it takes a lot of hate to do such a crime. This incident wasn’t just a reaction, it was something that was built up on the inside for a long time. The young men were taught from a young age that homosexuality is wrong. They were not taught to show love to people from all walks of life, they were taught to hate individuals who are different from the norm. If Matt didn’t suffer the injuries that he did and wasn’t left for dead, I think the majority of people in that town wouldn’t care. They would just put their heads down and go on bout their business. People need to talk about issues like this because it’s important. Crimes similar to this happen on a regular basis, it’s just a few incidents that the media gives coverage to which draws the publics attention.
@ Tommy
ReplyDeletePeople have to understand that every one in this world has some type of difference in their lives. People do make mistakes but should it cost someone their life just because they cant control themselves. Those two boys behaved as animals when they killed Matthew they wanted him to s
suffer. They maliciously beat him and tied him to the poll. To really make him feel bad about who was. Those two boys told the world that being gay was wrong and if you are this is wht would happen. They put fear into a lot of people.
ReplyDelete@Anthony Hoang response to Alice Lu...
ReplyDeleteAnthony makes a great point of not to be embarrass about who you are because remaining silent will only provoke more hate crimes if no one speaks out or act on it. The silence will only give more power to the people who commit these horrific crimes. Do not coward in response when a crime like Matthew happens, but stand up and show the world that there are more people like him, ones who are not afraid to be who they are and live how they want to live. By not speaking up it will show that these crimes are no big deal and doesn't affect anyone and now the power is on their side and its like saying that what they are doing is right because that's the right way of living because homosexuality is wrong. It only takes one voice to open the voices of millions, speak up, stand up, and fight for what is right.
@ LIZ
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that people probably hated Matthew for more than one reason other than being gay. It’s true that people do not think about other factors to why they might have hated Matthew, and always blame the most obvious reason. But overall, any hate crime, whether it deals with homosexuality, gay, lesbians, how rich or how poor you are etc, is ignorant.
-j. Omaque
Alexis:
ReplyDeleteI feel that you brought up good points. One that really stood out to me was that by killing one homosexual, it really don't solve anything but heartache to the ones that loved them. Just like in the movie, the two boys killed one homosexual, and look what happened, everyone came together and stood up for the homosexuals. There is nothing wrong with homosexuals, only their sexual orientation and no one should have the right to judge them, based on that. Also, just like you, I love spending time with my homosexual friends, and I always wanted a gay best friend.
Response to ngonzales83
ReplyDeleteYour beliefs of what defines a hate crime, sounds great! When discussing a hate crime, I believe that you and I have the same mentality of what you can determine for yourself, and what God has given you. For example, race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, as you stated in your response. Majority of the people in this world focus on their own flaws and negative aspects rather than the positive things that are given to them in life. Everyone should realize that living on this earth is a blessing, because God has given life to those who are able to handle challenges that each individual encounters during their lifetime. You made me realize that everything that is accomplished, good or bad, will stick with you for the rest of your life.
Still looking for the real name for Dominussapientia - I need it to give you credit for the assignment!
ReplyDeleteOf course its something wrong with a murder based on someones inherited characteristics, because that person is just living a simple life just like you are. They are just as innocent as you are, just because they don't act like you though, doesn't give anybody any right to murder some one. One thing i would say is that if you did get into a fight with someone and you just so happened to kill them because of an accidental hit to a vulnerable spot you can't really look at that as attempted because it really could have been an accident. So it is something particularly bad about crimes aimed towards those who don't act the exact same as everyone else or who doesn't look the same, just because someone doesn't look, sound, or act like you, doesn't mean their not just as good or bad of a person you are.
ReplyDelete-Devin P.
the young men most likely assumed that Matthew was trying to hit on them and had some sort of idea to be with them. however. it has been proven through many different studies that one of the main reasons for homophobia is the fact that striaght men believe the all gay men want them. fallacy! anyways, these men were racist and homophobic. not okay.
ReplyDeletein respons eto ANTHONY HOANG
ReplyDeletevery nice points. well put. hate crimes are personal. these boys did have a personal hate towards Matthew. This was the source of their actions.
It’s really sad to see such a difficult situation such as Matthew Sheperd’s death caused by two other young men done purely out of hate towards Matthew’s sexual preference. I do think that crimes committed against a person’s inherent characteristics are taken a bit more seriously and seen by the people a bit differently. It’s extremely wrong to judge people on whatever characteristics that define their unique self. Even if people share the same ethnicity, gender, or race everyone is different and have different ways of thinking and are definitely free to live their lives however it pleases them. He was killed because of his homosexuality which is what our society these days is drilling on. Throughout history there has always been victims that have been persecuted and seen as something that needs to be stopped or changed (upgraded). For example Native Americans and African Americans, these two ethnic groups were constantly being tormented because they were the “different ones”. It was extremely ignorant and wrong the way Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson ended with a person’s LIFE just because they lacked the mental capacity to accept another human being the way he was.
ReplyDelete@ Benicia
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you on the value you see on a life. Matthew was killed just because he was Gay! It’s such a stupid reason for two men to have and then go and kill someone. A life is a life no matter what. They should have had more respect to the way Matthew carried his life. It was his choice and they did not have any right to try to “correct him or make him see that he was wrong”. It’s not right for someone that doesn’t think the same way as another person to go and kill them or harm them just because their ideals are not the same.
REPOST 4/21/2010
ReplyDeleteAs I stated in my initial response, I still feel that crime is crime. Ultimately it shouldn’t matter what kind of justifications the crime has been dressed up in. I can agree that there are degrees of just how wrong a crime is; a kid accidentally stealing some gum really isn’t all that bad, but someone killing another person is very wrong indeed. The one exception I allow is when you MUST defend your life against someone set on killing you, it is still murder, but most people would agree it’s a necessary evil.
Drawing a distinction between someone killed by a disturbed individual who generally enjoys killing people, and someone killed by a person that hated them for being a certain race or gay is still murder. The end result of both crimes is still murder, death, extinguishing of the life function, etc.
The first scenario keeps the crime at a certain comfortable distance. People can see that there is a more defined right and wrong in that particular situation. They can understand that this person did something wrong, and perhaps they can attach some reasoning behind it to make the punishment less severe (in cases of self-defense, or even the lesser degrees of murder).
The second scenario brings the crime too close for comfort, if someone is killed for a reason such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc. then it makes murder less random, less demented even. Most people might think that it only happens in warzones, the ghettos, places that have clear reasons for there to be that type of behavior. When someone like Matthew Sheperd is murdered for no other reason than being gay, it opens up the possibility of ANYONE being killed for the simple reason of being different.
General Response, 4/21/10
ReplyDeleteTo no one in particular.
Many people commented that they did believe violent hate crimes are worse than regular crimes. There were several comments about how gays are persecuted, there is a lot of ignorance and homophobia, and many people stated how religion and community leaders (might) have taught that the gay life style is wrong.
While I agree that no one should be persecuted for trying to be free, living their life in a manner that they see fit and not harming others. I disagree that there’s a difference between violen crime and (violent) hate crime. I didn’t think of this idea until now, after my initial post (re-post), but I think that at the root of most violent crimes is hate. It isn’t love, kindness, concern, etc. that can move a person to want to harm another. Fear, hate, anger, jealousy, etc. are far more likely to be emotional motivators to cause harm and even death to someone else.
With this type of perspective, aren’t all violent crimes hate crimes? If they are, then what makes one more or less worse than the another?
I personally think that the only reason why they acted that way towards Matthew was because they hate and cannot stand homosexual people. Many individuals act in certain ways and make certain choices based on hate crime. It doesn’t have to be because of race, it can also be people who have homophobia. Those kids were probably taught by religion, or family members to have such a strong hate towards homosexuals, some people see this also as being wrong towards religion. I don’t think is right to be hated among religion, sexual preference or beliefs. No one should be persecuted for trying to be free.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Cavenecia
Response to Kelan,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you are trying to say regarding the similarities between hate crimes and crime period. Most of the crimes that happen now and have been happening throughout all these centuries has to do with some kind of hate, everything relates to some kind of anger and disagreement. Just as u mentioned, hate, jealousy, fear, anger etc. a lot of people kill over jealousy, also anger.
Everything that exists in the world is all God’s creation. There is no one in this world has any rights to end someone’s life because God just lend it to us. We all have to cherish it because we only have one life to live in. Living our lives to the fullest is the best thing we can do. Matthew Sheperd was one of the people who were very brave to stand for what he believes in. He showed to everyone who he really was. Being gay is how he presents himself in the society that he lives in and some people could not accept what he was in this world and strongly against it that they ended up killing him.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of different cultures here in America. I have met a lot of people who grew up in different places and have different race, ethnicity, and gender. Although I have these differences with them, I don’t find anything wrong with it.
Some people may have made fun of my Filipino accent but I don’t find any reason to start a fight over it. Even though sometimes it could be annoying, at least I have that remarks that makes me unique and be recognize as a Filipino through that accent.
I find it very wrong when someone is mocking others because of what they look like or how they speak, and sometimes on how they present themselves, like being gay or lesbian. We all have the rights to be who we want to be. Getting into a fight just because you want to be yourself is very unfair. Everyone is equal in this world. Representing yourself like for example a lesbian is better than stealing money from little kids. I don’t find anything wrong as long as you’re true to yourself and you’re not violating any laws.
@B.Hall
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Like I said from my first response, no one in this world has any rights to end someone’s life. We all have given one and we are ought to live freely. Anyone could live the way they wanted to live. And yet some people still do the crime and murder. That’s is a very sad fact in this world and yes maybe for some instance it is just because they just wanted attention and they chose the most terrible decision ever.
Aiza O.
@ joan
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post about stereotypes. I beleive that some stereotypes arent without merit. Unfortunately we go through moments in our lives that cause fear to be instilled in us. I also agree with your points about the messages we get from pop culture and from our own communities. I feel that we have been conditioned to think this way and sometimes we cant help it. What i think is unfortunate is that it only takes one person for the stereotype to start. I try not to stereotype, but i would be lying if i said i never did it. The most important thing is for us to find a way to free our minds from thinking about certain people as being a certain way.
julio
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do think that this particularly hate crime against Matthew Shepherd was bad and very evil. It clearly demonstrated the ignorance and prejudice's not only of Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson but also, the entire town of Laramie.
ReplyDeleteMatthew was in a bar, and his judgment was probably impaired by alcohol. I think that Matthew would still be alive if he had not shared so openly about his sexual orientation. I certainly don’t think that he needed to be the first gay person to "come out" in a town of homophobic people.Several folks in Laramie were gay, but use discretion and choose not to openly admit it ("Don’t ask Don’t tell") because of the stigma placed on homosexuals.
I see this particular this situation as no different from other racism's that we endure in this society. Being of African American descent, there are places down south that I wouldn’t go to, even to drive through. Although lynching is against the law and is considered a felony, it's still practiced in some southern states and counties.
My point is, hate crimes damage more people than just the person immediately effected. They create a climate of fear for everyone who shares the trait that got the person attacked.
I think that these young men committed this crime out of ignorance and fear. These young men were taught by their parents to hate homosexuals. Maybe Matthew's openness and his honesty intimidated them. Unfortunately, another human-sacrifice in order to bring about a change.
Jlogzm said….
ReplyDeleteI to enjoyed several parts of the film; it was truly amazing to see how they make the angel outfits. And how they used them as armor to protect and stop the negativity being preached among the town.
I agree that many people do claim to be "okay" with homosexuality. And of course, if those same people were surveyed anonymously they would in fact, check the box that says "homosexuality" is a sin. And I think those people are morally horrifying.
On the other hand, I believe that the beating and killing of Matthew S. was a clear indictor of the level of ignorance projected in this town. Sure fear played a major role in this horrific tragedy. But it wasn’t just the young men that killed Matthew it was the entire town of Laramie.
@ tinrobles18
ReplyDeleteIn regards to what you said in an earlier post I agree with how you felt that nobody should be able to take anyones life away for god created us all differently. And he was a brave young man for standing up for what he believed in.
Again you hit another good point just because people are different from one another, people feel like its ok to judge the person who is slightly different but on the inside could be the same type of person as them. thats whats wrong with todays society to many people judge books by their covers, and dont know whats beneath that. Everything is based off of looks and assumptions. Like you say its not fair that people have to be treated like that either.
-Devin Penix
Yes, I do believe that committing a crime against somebody based off a trait like race, ethnicity, gender, or in this case sexual orientation is worse than committing the crime under other circumstances.
ReplyDeleteWhen a person murders another based off of race, sexual orientation, or origins, they are murdering them entirely in cold blood. It shows a genuine hatred toward a person for something they may not be able to control, or were inherently born with. When a murder is committed after a fight, it shows the person was emotional and distrought, and they were clearly not thinking correctly, and in some cases it may have even been an accident. When a murder is committed based off of race or sexual orientation, the person was not over emotional, they were not provoked or egged on, they simply decided to commit the murder, which is infinitely worse than committing a murder from emotion because it shows murderous tendencies in who the person is, and it shows that they are murderous to a multitude of people, and not just someone who "wronged them".
All murder is wrong, however when it is commited entirely in cold blood, it shows a tendancy toward hatred and ill will that is byond killing in fight.