The Matthew Shepard Act has passed. I’m of two minds about it. On the one hand, I want protection for those people who are attacked because of hate. On the other, it’s weird to persecute people because of the thoughts they had when hurting someone.
Of course, if we could count on people and police to protect people who were being attacked because of their nationality, race, sexuality, etc., we could all rest a bit better, but in too many places, people turn away from what their society and beliefs make abject.
At least all those senators who said the Matthew Shepard story was a “hoax” and who indicated that all homosexuals are pedophiles were voted down. In fact, can’t we get them for hate speech now?
In other news, I saw a new edition of ORYX AND CRAKE that indicated that it was the first in the MADADAM TRILOGY. So I guess we’re about to get something new going on in AFTER THE FLOOD, which comes out in September. Margaret Atwood fans, get ready!
I knew Matthew Sheppard personally. In fact, he was one of the first actors that I ever directed in college, but we had long lost contact at the time of his death. My heart breaks for his family and friends at the inhuman way he was tortured and killed. But the crime against Matt was murder and it matters not the reason. To say that because of what one murderer was thinking makes the crime more or less heinous does not make the victim any more or less dead. The crime is murder.
Last December, my best friend and her son were shot in their home during a burglary. Should their murderer not be held to the same standard because the people he killed were white and straight? Are the friends and family any less destroyed by their loss? Both families loved those they lost. No one’s pain is more or less real.
I would venture to say that all murderers have malice and hatred in their hearts. Whatever the genesis of that evil is inconsequential? They acted and the action is what we punish.
Furthermore, we should protect people before their death, our pity and good-hearted actions do them very little good after they are gone. Just as the death penalty does not act as a deterrent, neither will hate crime legislation. What we do after someone is taken from us, in my opinion, is done for us, to avenge our feelings of loss and betrayal.
It is impossible to legislate thought, only action. In my opinion, one murder is no more or less tragic. It would be better to spend the time and resources on prevention and education. Hatred is learned. Complete disregard for human life is learned. And prejudice is learned. If we want to change the ending, we need to work on the beginning.