Hate Crimes Matthew Shepard - 1097 Words

Wyoming, October 7th 1998. Aaron Kriefels is cycling in a remote rural area when he sees what at first he believes to be a scarecrow tied to a fence. He looks closer and sees not a scarecrow, but a young man badly beaten and close to death. The victims name was Matthew Shepard. On Dec. 1st 1976, Matthew Shepard was born in Casper, Wyoming. He attended elementary school in the states, but after his first year in high school his family moved to Saudi Arabia. He then attended the American School in Switzerland where he was elected as a peer mediator. His friends and peers felt comfortable talking to him and he was someone you came to when you needed advice. He was described by his father as an optimistic and accepting young man who had a†¦show more content†¦What happens next is what changed this from a triggered â€Å"Gay Panic Defense† (which is, in my opinion a completely bogus and ridiculous excuse for those who can’t control their fists) to a hate crime and a murder. After severely beating Shepard in the moving truck, Henderson tied him to the fence. Their decision to tie his body up for everyone to see is part of their intensions to make it a public display of what they believe should be private. In an interview for the Laramie Project (a play based on the events of Matthew’s death), McKinney’s girlfriend tells writers about why the two men really decided to invite Matt into their car. After being disgusted at the thought of being hit on by a gay man they go to the bathroom where they plan to put on a gay pretense in order to lead Shepard into their vehicle and rob him. They wanted him to be punished for â€Å"coming onto straight people.† By lifting his body in midair and tethering him to the fence they were aware that someone would find him that way. They didn’t hide or trash or burry the body, they made it a spectacle. But in doing this, you can deduce that this murder wasn’t fully about Matthew Sh epard. He was a trigger, he was someone they could take advantage of. They used his body to show not only to Matthew himself, but to Laramie and the surrounding community that they were defending their ‘manhood.’ And in oneShow MoreRelatedHate Crime: The Case of Matthew Shepard1514 Words   |  6 PagesMatthew Shepard was a 21 year old freshman in college at the University of Wyoming when he was robbed and then killed in a hate crime on October 7, 1998 by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson for being gay. As a result of his death, Matthew Shepard became a symbol and a motivator for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights and movements. Matthew Shepard was the child of Judy and Dennis Shepard born on December 1, 1976, who was in public schools in Laramie, Wyoming until his juniorRead MoreEssay On Matthew Shepard Hate Crime1189 Words   |  5 Pages909, The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The purpose of this act was to â€Å"provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes† (Kennedy, 2009 p.1). Assistance other than financial assistance, in general, at the request of State, local or, tribal law enforcement agency, the Attorney General may provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or any other form of assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that , constitutesRead MoreConservatism, By Moises Kaufman And The Tectonic Theater Project1722 Words   |  7 Pagespreserve a detestable status quo. The play The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project introduces some of those people who live in the quiet town of Laramie, Wyoming. It has been 18 years since the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay resident of Laramie. After that tragedy, has anything changed? One answer comes from Laramie resident Rebecca Hilliker who states in The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later by Moises Kaufman that, â€Å"On the surface things have changed†(KaufmanRead MoreThe Laramie And Laramie Project1226 Words   |  5 PagesThe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported, â€Å"60.6% [out of] 1,402 hate crimes . . . based on sexual orientation [are] classified as anti-gay (male) bias† (Latest Hate Crime Statistics Report Released). Crimes against homosexuals have been reported nationwide, but a hate crime in Laramie, Wyoming has changed the gay community. October 12, 1998, twenty-one year old Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and murdered by two young Laramie citizens because of Shepard’s sexual orientation. InRead MoreThe Controversy Of Laramie, Wyoming1735 Words   |  7 Pages Laramie, Wyoming is known as a mostly conservative, republican party majority, which is why there were no hate crime laws that had to deal with sexual orientation or gender identity. Republicans typically were Christians meaning they were against homosexuality and believed it was very wrong. The Laramie officials did not pass any law for about ten years, which showed the Laramie community that their own government did not approve of homosexuals. The government in Laramie is a major influence onRead MoreHate Crimes Laws And Hate Crime1543 Words   |  7 PagesHate Crimes What is a hate crime? Although the definition can vary based on what groups are included (Cogan, 2006, p. 174) the simplest definition would be, violence against a person or group of people based on their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, race or disability (Burgess, Regehr, Roberts, 2013). Hate Crimes do not just effect the victim but also the community. Those who become victims of hate crime are not chosen at random, it is because of the group they identify with orRead MoreThe Laramie Project1747 Words   |  7 Pageswhen a gay college student named Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tied up and left for dead on a fence off a rural road... and when Laramie, Wyoming became the Hate Crime Capital of America. Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard was in a local Laramie Wyoming bar, the Fireside Lounge. While at the bar, 21-year-old Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. According to McKinney, Shepard asked them for a ride home. Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, severely beaten, punchedRead MoreHate Crimes: Society Reaction to Change Essay1431 Words   |  6 PagesDid you know that more transgender people are killed due to hate crimes ever year than all the other major targets combined including blacks, Jews, Hispanics, lesbians, and gay men? Or did you know that gay teens are 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide and 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection? What does that tell us about our society? Personally I believe that we in societyRead MoreEssay on Effects of Gay Rights in America943 Words   |  4 Pagesin the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it. Those were the words said by Dennis Shepard at the sentencing of Aaron McKinney, one of the men who tortured, robbed, and murdered his son Matthew Shepard. He was given a life sentence. States must inflict a harsher punishment for people who commit gay violence crimes because over the years hate crimes based on sexual orientation have become the third highest category reported. ManyRead MoreEssay on The Laramie Project1293 Words   |  6 Pages Hate Crimes After reading â€Å"The Laramie Project† your left with so many questions, ideas and emotions. The play is a series of interviews (reenacted exactly as they happened) to give the audience facts and true statements so that they can form there own opinion. The play takes place in Laramie Wyoming, after the â€Å"hate crime† that left 21 year old Matthew Shepard fighting for his life that ended soon after all because the fact that he was gay. Hate is a feeling and hate crime is acting