DOOL Discussion Group

Topic: Matthew Shepard

Today President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Prevention Act.

I can't stop thinking about his parents....

It's a good day.

As for the queestion about what makes a crime a hate crime...to add on to what LisaP said...

Judy Shepard was on Ellen a couple of weeks ago and she said a hate crime is meant to not only hurt the person but to hurt the community.  It is meant to intimidate a whole community into doing or not doing whatever the hater feels is right.  its more to make an example out of the person being hurt.  So with Matthew, he was the example...they took out their hatred on him and in the process tried to make Gay people as a whole afraid.

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His mom and dad are both amazing people and yes, so so strong.....Nichol

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Posted by: Prozkgrl
Date posted: Thu Oct 29 8:56:23 2009
Message:
Good stuff.

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yes it is ,,,Nichol

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Posted by: HockeyChick
Date posted: Thu Oct 29 8:37:33 2009
Message:
This is good to hear... that poor boy... I still tear up when I think of him.

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me too....it was so senseless...nichol

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Posted by: sandy
Date posted: Thu Oct 29 5:08:35 2009
Message:
This is long overdue and I am sad that it took so long.

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You are not alone... I wish my one client who was murdered a year ago who fought for this bill was still alive to have seen it. Lisa P

i agree Sandy.........Nichol

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Posted by: carmen
Date posted: Wed Oct 28 21:55:25 2009
Message:

that was a horrible tragedy that happened to that young man. i hope the bill helps.

1 question and absolutely NO disrespect intended but..aren't all crimes "hate" crimes in 1 sense or another?

if this gives more jail time and helps victims i am all for it!

matthew did not die in vain.

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Carmen, I know what you mean. I think the word 'hate' is the issue, most violent crimes aren't motivated by 'love' after all. I wish there was a better word for it, like maybe 'moron-bigot crime' (j/k, sort of)...Mandy

I know what you mean, but no there is a difference. I know, because this is what I do. I actually have to log into a government run computer system and type in the crime type. Hate crimes are usually a crime against a person, because of race, skin color, religion, etc... If a person assaults another person to take their wallet it is not considered a hate crime. If they assault say a gay person after that person is leaving a support group and that person did nothing, but walk down the street it is a hate crime. The intent was to harm them simply because they are gay. Just like you can do serious property damage to a home, but unless their are signs of a hate crime behind the property crime it is listed as a property crime. If they sprayed say a Swat-sticka on the person's house, we can say it is a hate crime. I hope that makes a little sense. Lisa P

I added to this up above Carmen......nichol

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Posted by: sulla
Date posted: Wed Oct 28 21:53:34 2009
Message:
That was so horrifying what happened to him. His mother has just written a book titled "The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed". I'm going to see if my library has it.

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yes i want to read it too........Nichol

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Posted by: Lisa P
Date posted: Wed Oct 28 20:49:55 2009
Message:
This is great news and hopefully it will help me with my hate crime cases.

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I hope so Lisa~ Nichol

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