Today is Wednesday, April 29, 2009 and the United States House of Representatives passed a federal hate crimes bill by a vote of 249-175. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act includes crimes which are committed against the LGBT community motivated by sexual orientation. Also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, the law if passed by the United States Senate later this year would allow law enforcements officials to look into the motivation behind criminal activities. President Obama and leaders in the Senate from both the Republican and Democratic parties support such legislation. Notable Senators supporting the bill included Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Arlen Specter (D-PA).
None of this should be surprising in 2009. Someone I find to be absolutely astounding is Republican Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. With Matthew Shepard's mother in attendance in the House of Representatives today, Rep. Foxx stood up and had the audacity to claim that this legislation is based on a hoax. Quoting Rep. Foxx, "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This – the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills." To that I say, "get real Representative Foxx"!
Where does someone live that has such a skewed perspective on the reality of current events and life in America? Perhaps next door to those who believe that the holocaust never happened during the 1930s and 1940s? Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney intended to rob Matthew Shepard's residence only after they had violated his person by robbing his personal items, pistol whipping him, torturing him, tying him to a fence in a remote rural area and leaving him to die. If these individuals had only intended to rob Matthew Shepard, why not rob him and throw him out of the car along the road. In fact, they had met him at a bar and offered him a ride home. Unless you just crawled out from under a rock after being there for 50 years, it seems pretty likely that McKinney and Henderson knew that Matthew Shepard was gay when they set out to kill him.
If the above description of the events leading up to Matthew Shepard's death do not describe a hate crime, I am clearly confounded. Let's set aside Matthew Shepard's sexual orientation for a minute. Think about those events whether he was straight or gay. Wouldn't you say that a crime that heinous in nature is motivated by hatred? Imagine what thoughts went through Matthew Shepard's mind as he endured such hatred. This young man who related well to almost everyone, according to his parents, had already endured pain and suffering in his life. He had been a rape victim during a high school trip to Morocco. Someone with so many gifts and abilities received pain, suffering and hatred in return from those who didn't really know him.
For Representative Virginia Foxx to be so callous as to stand on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and state that the hate crimes legislation has been perpetrated by a hoax, namely the death of Matthew Shepard, is not astounding at all - it is appalling! As long as we are unwilling to learn the lessons of history, it is likely that history will repeat itself. History is filled with periods during which turning a blind eye was easier than standing up for what is right.
As a person of faith, I am reminded of another parable taught by Jesus [Matthew 25:34-46]. Two groups of people had the same opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick and those in prison. One group helped out those around them and were welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. The other group said, "we didn't see these things" all around us. These were excluded from the heavenly kingdom. Jesus might say to those who see no reason for hate crime legislation, "Get real!"
~ DB Turnmire
None of this should be surprising in 2009. Someone I find to be absolutely astounding is Republican Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. With Matthew Shepard's mother in attendance in the House of Representatives today, Rep. Foxx stood up and had the audacity to claim that this legislation is based on a hoax. Quoting Rep. Foxx, "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This – the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills." To that I say, "get real Representative Foxx"!
Where does someone live that has such a skewed perspective on the reality of current events and life in America? Perhaps next door to those who believe that the holocaust never happened during the 1930s and 1940s? Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney intended to rob Matthew Shepard's residence only after they had violated his person by robbing his personal items, pistol whipping him, torturing him, tying him to a fence in a remote rural area and leaving him to die. If these individuals had only intended to rob Matthew Shepard, why not rob him and throw him out of the car along the road. In fact, they had met him at a bar and offered him a ride home. Unless you just crawled out from under a rock after being there for 50 years, it seems pretty likely that McKinney and Henderson knew that Matthew Shepard was gay when they set out to kill him.
If the above description of the events leading up to Matthew Shepard's death do not describe a hate crime, I am clearly confounded. Let's set aside Matthew Shepard's sexual orientation for a minute. Think about those events whether he was straight or gay. Wouldn't you say that a crime that heinous in nature is motivated by hatred? Imagine what thoughts went through Matthew Shepard's mind as he endured such hatred. This young man who related well to almost everyone, according to his parents, had already endured pain and suffering in his life. He had been a rape victim during a high school trip to Morocco. Someone with so many gifts and abilities received pain, suffering and hatred in return from those who didn't really know him.
For Representative Virginia Foxx to be so callous as to stand on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and state that the hate crimes legislation has been perpetrated by a hoax, namely the death of Matthew Shepard, is not astounding at all - it is appalling! As long as we are unwilling to learn the lessons of history, it is likely that history will repeat itself. History is filled with periods during which turning a blind eye was easier than standing up for what is right.
As a person of faith, I am reminded of another parable taught by Jesus [Matthew 25:34-46]. Two groups of people had the same opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick and those in prison. One group helped out those around them and were welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. The other group said, "we didn't see these things" all around us. These were excluded from the heavenly kingdom. Jesus might say to those who see no reason for hate crime legislation, "Get real!"
~ DB Turnmire
I am OUTRAGED at Representative Foxx's audacity to dismiss such a heinous and obvious hate crime. I've always learned that if you witness someone doing something wrong and you don't stop it, you are just as guilty of the wrongdoing as the wrongdoer. In my eyes, Representative Foxx's words perpetuate a lack of understanding in the same vein as the those guilty of torturing and murdering Matthew Shepherd. As a person with the power to speak out and pass legislature to protect citizens against such crimes, she has gravely disappointed those who trust her to do so and she ought to resign.
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie for your passionate response to my latest blog. It never ceases to amaze me that there are still people who will try so hard to convince us that certain historical events never happened. How illogical is it to proclaim that an event so well documented was not based on hatred? Furthermore, what lack of compassion to stand before the mother of Matthew Shepard and state that her son's murder was a hoax on which to base legislation! Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
ReplyDelete