Remembering Matthew
October 12th 2005, is the seventh anniversary of my son Matthew's murder.
http://www.matthewshepard.org/
While it may not be today's "hot" news to pay respects to a gay man's memory, just remember one day it could be someone you love.
NEVER FORGET!
Seven years later...I regret to disagree with Mrs. Shepard but the world hasn't changed much. How can we say it's changed when you visit a blog like Americablog and a question about leaving the country is posted and well over 75% of the respondents have or are considering leaving?
This is America???
THIS IS AMERICA where supposedly liberal politicians sign declarations saying gays can serve in the military as long as they shut up and sign marriage protection acts yet cheat on their own wives. THIS IS AMERICA where a gay California man is trying to run for Congress but his own Democratic party is telling him to drop out (http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/10/101105calDem.htm). THIS IS AMERICA where gay college kids can be killed and easily forgotten, then demonized as a drug addict in an ABC special. THIS IS AMERICA where we defend ourselves from state-to-state, city-to-city from amendments and attacks on our very dignity and personal freedoms, but our President can start illegal wars and the highest members of his Cabinet can face indictment and treason.
THIS IS AMERICA????
posted by RedStateExile @ 12:14
3 comments
3 Comments:
No nation is a nation of all saints and I think we are getting better. What hides that progress is that this adminstration has incited and empowered some of the worst elements of our society.
Eventually, the country as a whole will get fed up with them and the won't get the soap box and legitimacy granted them today.
Things are better than they look, Callie.
Thanks for the heads up on this one, Callie!
Ah, Dorsano, I hope you are right. Any new leadership after the debacle of this presidency will have to shift perceptions of our community or else the same will continue.
Matthew may have been seven years ago, but plenty have died due to hate since him (Billy Jack Gaither and Gwen Arajuno are two I can think of right off). Even today there was a story of a disabled gay man killed in Vancouver (yep, liberal Canada).
We can't let the world forget that we are targets of hate and presume that the world is getting better just because it looks better from their (or our) point of view.
I was reading an interview yesterday in Mother Jones from the leader of the Freedom to Marry organization and he said that when Loving v Virginia was won in the courts in 1967 that 70% of the US population didn't support interracial marriage. It wasn't until 1992 that a majority of Americans did support interracial marriages.
The courts were WELL AHEAD of popular opinion. As well it should be today, who gives a rat's ass what a poll says about gay marriage or hate crimes legislation? It's the right thing to do...DO IT!!! We can't wait for popular opinion to approve of other people's lives.
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