Matthew Shepard

   Although I know how corrupt man is I am still shocked at many things that I hear today. The hatred that people have for one another amazes and perplexes me because I cannot imagine myself hating someone so much for something, like homosexuality, that it would bring me to the point of murdering that person. The article we read about Matthew Shepard's murder has left me a bit speechless and it did not even go into great detail as I am sure the case file does, or perhaps even articles on the event.

   It is so saddening and grieving to see the way people treat each other simply because they do not agree with life choices that others make. Of course everyone has the right to associate with whom they want, or not associate with whom they do not want to. And that very well may be based upon a disagreement on beliefs and/or life choices. For example, I do not agree with smoking or drinking alcohol because I believe it harms the body and is ultimately a waste of money, a silly and pointless pleasure (for some), and I simply believe one could never go wrong with not smoking or drinking. However, many of my friends and family smoke and drink, and do other things I do not agree with, but I still associate with them and I am still close with many of them, regardless. Their lifestyles have never harmed me so I do not have a good reason as to why I would not associate with them.

   I do not know what the two men, McKinney and Henderson, who murdered Shepard, confessed to when they were convicted of murdering him, so I do not know that their reasons for murdering him were because Shepard was an open homosexual. However, that is what people have come to believe of the incident. So if that is the case, I cannot fathom why these two men would have thought that murdering Shepard for being gay would benefit them, or anyone else, more than being put in prison for life. Murdering one person for being gay did not stop other homosexuals from coming out of the closet, nor did it keep the gay movement from escalating. Someone could argue that it may have even strengthened the cause for gay rights and acceptance among society. No matter what the circumstance, no one should be murdered for living a certain lifestyle or for belonging to a certain race, gender, sexual orientation, and the like.

   Personally, I do believe homosexuality is wrong but I still associate with homosexual people and I still love and accept them even though I disagree with the lifestyle. However, not every person who claims to be homosexual actually lives that lifestyle. Many people claim to be such but try to change because they do not want to be homosexual, and who can condemn someone for that? I love what Shepard's father, Dennis Shepard, said after the trial, "this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy." He is spot on with that! The article also says that the public dehumanized McKinney and Henderson for what they had done, and although prison is the legal consequence for such an act of murder, even they still needed to be shown love and mercy, regardless of the seemingly unforgivable crime they committed against an innocent person.