Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Observing People & Spaces on Campus
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Writing about Your Own Personal Geography
Reflecting on Your Second Major Assignment
Monday, April 26, 2010
Annotated Bibliography
http://web.grinnell.edu/courses/HIS/f01/HIS202-01/Documents/OSullivan.html
O’Sullivan wrote this paper as a result of the ongoing political battle when deciding if Texas was to be admitted into the Union as a new state. In it, O’Sullivan started with a very nice and political tone talking about the struggle over the annexation of Texas. Then he moved on to explain the various reasons why Texas was already “supposed” to be considered of American domain. O’Sullivan writing is very powerful in the sense that it tries to avoid the real reasons why Texas even separated from Mexican government, and it makes the acquisition of the territory seem righteous as if a greater force had already set this event in motion therefore the term “destiny”. Also, in this document O’Sullivan used the term “Manifest Destiny” for the first time which is historically and rhetorically significant since shortly thereafter Texas became a U.S. state.
Sampson. Robert D. John L. O’Sullivan and His Times. Kent State University Press, 2003. The portions I’ve used from this excellent book mainly gave me some of the personal background I needed to understand from John L. O’Sullivan so I would be able to analyze his writings and relate the ideals he shared from his time period. I found some interesting facts about him, for example that her mom helped fund the acquisition of the first newspaper where O’Sullivan started writing columns from a settlement against the United States government. Also I’ve understood at some extend why did O’Sullivan suddenly disappear from American history even though his ideologies proved resonant during his time. Basically, I used this source to have a better perspective of O’Sullivan’s life in general not just as a democratic political journalist.
O’Sullivan, John L. The Great Nation of Futurity. TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Web. 15 Apr. 2010 http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=668
This manifesto written by John L. Sullivan triggered the movement or ideology that has become known as manifest destiny. Basically, Sullivan starts out by outlining the different values the American nation were founded upon such as liberty, democracy and such. The introductory paragraph is an ovation to the foundation of the U.S. as a nation and that it had diverged from “older” ways of thinking and oppressive types of government that completely separated America from European history. His main claim was that the United States had several unique and good qualities that made it the chosen nation to spread goodness throughout the new continent. He praises the American political system and its people and therefore creates a vision of a perfect nation under the American values while it also describes the probable consequences of pursuing such perfect nation. At some points he justifies the future action the U.S. people would take in order to accomplish what he denominated as the American project. This document serves therefore as the basis of his concept that he would later brand as Manifest Destiny.
David and Jeanne Heidler, Manifest Destiny
Heidler, David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Manifest Destiny. Greenwood Press, 2003. Print
This book served as a major contributor to the historical background I offered in my dissertation. It relates American expansionism from the early 19th century, all the way to the concept of Manifest Destiny and its latter effects such as the acquisition of California and New Mexico from the Mexican-American War. The great thing about this source is that it dealt more directly with the interpretation of history as it gave various perspectives around the same issues that has troubled recent works concerning this difficult time period. For the sake of this summary, I used the chapter where it deals with Polk’s crusade to provoke the Mexican-American war to accomplish the later “purchase” of the California and New Mexico territory from Mexico.
Youngberg, Quentin. "Morphology of Manifest Destiny: The Justified Violence of John O'Sullivan, Hank Morgan, and George W. Bush." Canadian Review of American Studies 35.3 (2005): 315-333. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2010
This article relates American expansionism through violence to the concept of Manifest Destiny and its historical roots. That is, the author explains how such a concept as the “divine” selection for America to expand its dominion throughout the continent emanated from religious influence of early colonists, such as the Puritans. He offers an interesting analysis of the strategies O’Sullivan seemed to use to justify his ideal for American expansion even at the cost of brute dominion over weaker groups of people. He also discusses the significance such concept has been applied in recent issues such as George W. Bush war against terrorism.
annotated bibliography
This article shares the story of yet another Chinese girl who was brought to San Francisco for the sole purpose of prostitution. Sue Gum was this woman’s name and she was forced to live this shameful lifestyle for three years until she was finally captured. After managing to put away a small fraction of her earnings, Sue Gum was able to escape to the Presbyterian Mission house and purchase a ticket back to China. When her “owner” learned of her plan, he took the matter to the courts and had a warrant drawn up for the woman’s arrest based on false charges of theft and embezzlement. This happened twice, and each time the people from the mission went to the judge and explained the situation, resulting in the woman being released back to the mission. However, because the charges were pending against her, Sue Gum was not able to leave the United States. The main claim of this article is that what the Chinese tongs were doing was undoubtedly wrong, and that the way some American’s stepped in has helped a great deal. The evidence used to support this claim includes the example of the mission intervening twice, showing that people truly did care about these women. This is significant because one of the main reactions to the problem of Chinese Prostitution in San Francisco was that religious leaders stepped up to bring these women under their protection.
"Bondage of Chinese Women." San Francisco Bulletin. 37.95 (Jan. 1874): 3. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010.
This article is was a piece that appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin in 1874 and explains one case that was going on in the city in regards to the owner of a brothel named Kim Lin. The article talks about several of the girls who worked in the brothel, one in particular who was named Ah Loy. This woman was abducted from Shanghai, brought to America, and forced into the sex slave industry. After working for one madam for several months, she met a man named Ah Yin, a man who became determined to free her from the brothel and marry her. Kim Lin agreed to free Ah Loy, but only on the condition that Ah Yin pay for her as according to Lin, he actually owned the body of Ah Loy. The article describes when the two men went to court and Lin produced an actual document of sale, on which a contract between the woman and owner is drawn up. The contract states that there is an assumed indebtedness to her owner, and when bought, she will receive the payment and then automatically hand it over to her previous owner. The end of the article explains how Ah Loy stated that if her previous owner were to murder her lover, she too would want to die.
Throughout the article, the author refers to all the Chinese people as mongrels or heathens. This shows the overall racist attitude that was prominent in the American community towards the Chinese immigrants.
"Law Intelligence." Daily Placer Times and Transcript. 5.1495 (Dec. 1854): 2. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010.
“Law Intelligence” addresses the issue of a recent case that is going on in the San Francisco court system in which a defendant has been “indicted for keeping a house of prostitution.” This article represents a different type of reaction from the American’s than the religious leaders demonstrated. In this article the author explains that the objective of the trial is not to imprison the defendants necessarily, but instead to all together rid the community of them. The author says, “We all know and feel that this population is an eye-sore,” which demonstrates that not all people believed in stepping to help the Chinese. Instead, many believed the solution was to simply force all of the Chinese people out of the city. The different opinion that is displayed in this document is what makes it significant to the topic of Chinese prostitution in the early twentieth century.
McClain, Laurence Wu. "Donaldina Cameron." Chinese America: History and Perspectives (2001): 76. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Apr. 2010
Donaldina Cameron was one of the major advocates for Chinese women during this time period, saving over 3,000 of them from the world of prostitution in her relatively short career. While she was without a doubt a hero of the times, this document explains the more complex pieces of Cameron’s life and involvement with the Chinese people. After moving to the city when she was 19, Cameron began to witness the injustice that was so prevalent towards these young women and she became outraged. Along with a couple other women, Donaldina Cameron attempted daring missions in order to rescue the prostitutes. Soon, she became the superintend of the Presbyterian Mission House in San Francisco and took thousands of Chinese women under her roof. The main claim of this article is that Donaldina did help many women, but she also held a very patronizing and superior attitude towards them. Evidence that helps to demonstrate this includes the examples of the extremely strict rules that were enforced in regards to marriage, conversion, and general house rules. These make it seem as though Cameron believed these women could not be trusted to care for themselves. The article also includes a quote from Cameron in which she used derogatory terms such as “waifs” and “heathen people.” This document is significant because it does show that many Americans did care enough to intervene, but sometimes they either had ulterior motives or simply did not respect the people they were trying to help. It demonstrates a very common belief of the times.
Peiss, Kathy and Thomas G. Paterson. Major Problems in the History of American Sexuality: Documents and Essays (Major Problems in American History Series). Houghton Mifflin Company, March 2001.
My primary document is in the form of a firsthand account from a Chinese girl who worked as a prostitute in San Francisco. Wong Ah So describes her experiences in the sex traffic industry from beginning to end. At 19 years old, a man came to her to home and asked her parent’s permission to take her as his wife to America where she would be able to earn a great deal of money. Her parents agreed and she was sent with the man, only to find out a couple weeks later that she was not going to be the man’s wife, but instead was to be sold into the prostitution rings ran by the San Francisco tongs, Chinese criminal organizations. Wong Ah So does not go into much detail about her life for the next seven months until she describes how she is rescued by a family friend who sees her at a banquet where she is supposed to be entertaining the tong members. The man assists her in escaping and then takes her to the Presbyterian mission house, an institution that over the years, helped save nearly 3000 Chinese prostitutes. The end of Wong Ah So’s story ends with her detailing what her current life is like. She is living at the Mission with Donaldina Cameron or “Miss Cameron” as Wong Ah So calls her, learning English and the art of weaving. This document is significant because the story of Wong Ah So and those of women like her were the driving forces in bringing a stop to the sale and bondage of Chinese women in San Francisco during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Sridharan, Mohini. "Prostitution in the Early Chinese Community." Dartmouth College. N.D. Web. 13 April 2010.
This article begins by describing one of the main reasons that Chinese prostitution was so prevalent in San Francisco. According to Sridharan, this reason is the extremely lopsided ratio of Chinese men to women in the cite. He states "In 1850, there were only 7 Chinese women versus 4010 Chinese men in San Francisco and in 1855, women constituted only two percent of the total Chinese population in America." These circumstances caused by strict cultural rules that prevent women from traveling alone and the large amount of racism that Chinese people faced in America, resulted in many men turning to prostitution and most of the women into the profession because there were not many other jobs. The article also describes the sufferings of these women which included beatings, contracting venereal disease, and becoming addicted to drugs.
Sridharan goes on to describe how Americans reacted to the prostitution that was running rampant in their city. The first way people reacted was to become even more prejudice against the Chinese. One quote makes the claim that "not on virtuous Chinawoman has been brought into this country." The second way people reacted was to take charge of the situation themselves and try to help. The Presbyterian Mission home was one of the most successful institutions in rescuing Chinese prostitutes. Overall, this article gives insight into the reasons behind Chinese prostitution, the effects on the girls, and the reactions of the Americans to the situation.
"The Chinese Conspiracy Case." San Francisco Bulletin. 36.106 (Aug. 1873): 4. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010
This article is entitled “The Chinese Conspiracy Case” and discusses a trial that is going on in the city. The defendants are several owners of brothels, and they are being tried by the city in order to get the brothels shut down. This article makes it clear that the problem with Chinese prostitution may have been facilitated by the American society, but was ultimately developed and pushed by the Chinese people themselves. This particular case concerns a woman who was bought from China by another Chinese man. She then escaped from his brothel and met Yet Sung, who she then married. Based on Chinese law, Yet Sung was required to pay for his bride, because she was the property of the brothel owner. The main claim of this document is that the Chinese population as a whole is what is causing the problem of women being sold into prostitution. The evidence that is used to support this claim is that the only instance when a non Chinese person is brought up is when the author discusses Yet Sung going to the mission house. This makes it appear like only Chinese people are involved in this situation, and so it is their entire fault.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Annotated Bibliographies
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Summary of Two Scholarly Sources
Practice Works Cited Page
Works Cited
Baldassare, Mark. The Los Angeles Riots: Lessons for the Urban Future. Boulder: Westview Press, 1994. Print.
Cannon, Lou. Official Negligence. New York: Random House, 1997. Print.
Gray, Madison. “The L.A. Riots: 15 years after Rodney King.” Time Online. 12 Feb, 2010. Web. 18 April 2010.
Myers, Matthew. “The Siege of L.A.” Newsweek. 5 Nov. 1992. Academic Search Complete. EBSCOhost. Web. 18 April 2010.
“Rare Rodney King Interview.”Youtube. 7 March. 2009. Web. 18 April 2010.
The book, Official Negligence, will serve as one of my research papers predominate secondary sources. The book takes a comprehensive and thorough look into the events surrounding the Rodney King beating and the ensuing chaos that plagued the city of Los Angeles. It does an excellent job illuminating the havoc that all demographics experienced during the traumatic 1992 event. What I will most likely take away from this source is not merely the background for my primary source, but a look into how other people were affected by the Rodney King event. For example, the unwarranted brutality against Rodney King spurred a jarringly similar event involving Reginald Denny. Denny, a 33-year-old concrete truck driver had inadvertently taken a short cut through a region of Los Angeles that harbored some of the most vengeful rioters. It was not long before he was forcefully removed from his vehicle and beaten to within inches of his life. The beatings culminated with a massive blow to the head, which nearly killed the innocent bystander. These types of corollary incidents are immensely important as they symbolize a struggle towards equality by any means necessary. These actions are indicative of a people who felt as though all democratic pleas had been exhausted, and had now turned to inimitable violence to satiate their desire for equality. This source perfectly assesses the severe repercussions of the Rodney King beating and evaluates it’s effects in regards to the societal revolution it incited.
Another secondary source, composed of valuable information pertaining to the Rodney King video is entitled “The L.A. Rio ts: 15 Years after Rodney King.” This Time article is focused primarily on assessing the long-term effects the events of 1992 have had on its chief constituents. The article spotlights specific individuals who had noteworthy roles in both the King beating and the infamous LA riots. Some of these figures include: Rodney King, Reginald Denny, Darryl Gates (Los Angeles’ former Police Chief) and Stacey Koon (one of the arresting officers of King). The article will assist in elevating my paper’s credibility when attempting to assess the effects these incidents had on individual members of society. Its advantages lie in the ability to explicitly determine, years after, how key figures have adapted to life in the post-riot era. My hopes are that by interviewing these people 15 years later, any remnants of the incident’s effect will be highlighted and will establish how truly life-altering these occurrences were. In addition, the article is composed of interviews from people who witnessed and regrettably partook in the devastating events of ’92. Inherently, utilizing information extracted from these articles will generate a level of reliability with my readers that would be unmatched by simply utilizing historical renderings of the incident.
Works Cited and Secondary Source Summaries
"A Chinese Slave." San Francisco Bulletin. 64.24 (May 1887): 2. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010.
"Bondage of Chinese Women." San Francisco Bulletin. 37.95 (Jan. 1874): 3. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010.
Gentry, Curtis. The Madams of San Francisco. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc, 1964. Print
"Law Intelligence." Daily Placer Times and Transcript. 5.1495 (Dec. 1854): 2. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010.
Martin, Mildred Crowl. Chinatown's Angry Angel. Palo Alto, California: Pacific Book's Publishers, 1977. Print
McClain, Laurence Wu. "Donaldina Cameron." Chinese America: History and Perspectives (2001): 76. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Apr. 2010
Peiss, Kathy and Thomas G. Paterson. Major Problems in the History of American Sexuality: Documents and Essays (Major Problems in American History Series). Houghton Mifflin Company, March 2001.
Sridharan, Mohini. "Prostitution in the Early Chinese Community." Dartmouth College. N.D. Web. 13 April 2010.
"The Chinese Conspiracy Case." San Francisco Bulletin. 36.106 (Aug. 1873): 4. America's Historical Newspapers. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 April 2010
Summary of Prostitution in the Early Chinese Community, 1850-1900
This article begins by describing one of the maine reasons that Chinese prostitution was so prevelent in San Francisco. According to Sridharan, this reason is the extremely lop-lobsided ratio of Chinese men to women in the cite. He states "In 1850, there were only 7 Chinese women versus 4010 Chinese men in San Francico and in 1855, women constituted only two percent of the total Chinese population in America." These circumstances, caused by strict cultural rules that prevent women from traveling alone and the large amount of raciscm that Chinese people faced in America, resulted in many men turing to prostitution and most of the women into the profession because there were not many other jobs. The article also describes the sufferings of these women which included beatings, contracting venereal disease, and becoming addicted to drugs.
Sridharan goes on to describe how Americans reacted to the prostitution that was running rampant in their city. The first way people reacted was to become even more prejudice against the chinese. One quote makes the claim that "not on virtuous Chinawoman has been brought into this country." The second way people reaced was to take charge of the situation themselves and try to help. The Presbyterian Mission home was one of the most successful institutions in rescueing Chinese prostitutes. Overall, this article gives insight into the reasons behind Chinese prostition, the effects on the girls, and the reactions of the Americans to the situation.
Summary of Bondage of Chinese women
This article is was a piece that appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin in 1874 and explains one case that was going on in the city in regards to the owner of a brothel named Kim Lin. The article talks about several of the girls who worked in the brothel, one in particular who was named Ah Loy. This woman was abducted from Shanghai, brought to America, and forced into the sex slave industry. After working for one madam for several months, she met a man named Ah Yin, a man who became determined to free her from the brothel and marry her. Kim Lin agreed to free Ah Loy, but only on the condition that Ah Yin pay for her as according to Lin, he actually owned the body of Ah Loy. The article describes when the two men went to court and Lin produced an actual document of sale, on which a contract between the woman and owner is drawn up. The contract states that there is an assumed indebtedness to her owner, and when bought, she will receive the payment and then automatically hand it over to her previous owner. The end of the article explains how Ah Loy stated that if her previous owner were to murder her lover, she too would want to die.
Throughout the article, the author refers to all the Chinese people as mongrels or heathens. This shows the overall racist attitude that was prominent in the American community towards the Chinese immigrants.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Analyzing the Sand Creek Massacre Letters
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Summary (or Description) of Your Primary Text
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Reflecting on Our First Assignment
What's In a Name?
In Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," Juliet grapples with the hatred of her family, the Capulets, for that of her beloved Romeo, the Montague family. “What’s in a name?” she asks him, trying to understand the power and influence of a simple surname, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Names and titles, she realizes, are human creations, little more than superimposed categories used to give information. Although her question is deceivingly simple and superficial, Juliet in fact makes a profound statement in regards to tolerance. Where names and labels divided and inspired hatred in Shakespeare’s story of love, the Tectonic Theater Company use the power of titles to their advantage, using a title to give clues about their modern day investigation of hate and acceptance in a small Wyoming town. As the title suggests, “The Laramie Project” is not about a twenty-one year old college student brutally beaten and murdered for his sexual orientation. Rather, it is a story of the people of Laramie, an investigation of the town, documenting the residents’ thoughts and reactions, framed by the hate crime that ended Matthew Shepard’s life.
“I want to hear from the people of the town,” Moisès Kaufman explains to the head of the Theatre Department at the University of Wyoming in one of the very first scenes in the play. As author of the play and founder of the Tectonic Theater Company, Kaufman explicitly states the purpose of the interviews, and therefore the purpose of “The Laramie Project.” From the very beginning, he tells the audience that the play is about Laramie. He immediately introduces the idea that it is a story about how the town and its residents were influenced by Matthew’s death. With Kaufman and “The Laramie Project” in mind, Ryan M. Claycomb explores this modern and innovative stage production, a hybrid of documentary and drama, in the Spring 2003 issue of the "Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism." He writes, “Contemporary oral history plays tend to focus less on ‘what happened’ than on the discourse that surrounds crisis events.” Applied directly to “The Laramie Project,” the play is more concerned with the repercussions and results of Matthew’s murder than the actual murder itself. According to Claycomb’s model, the horrendous hate crime against Matthew is an impetus for dialogue, and the theater company, led by Moisès Kaufman, is interested in that discussion and the resulting change in Laramie, Wyoming. As Kaufman himself explains of the project: “I want to hear from the people of the town.”
Published in the Spring 2002 edition of Modern Drama, Amy Tigner further supports this notion in her article “The Laramie Project: Western Pastoral.” Although she focuses her essay primarily on her own personal thesis, she explores how “The Laramie Project” documents the results of Matthew’s murder in Laramie, Wyoming. “‘The Laramie Project,’” she says, “tells of the community attempting to come together after the tragic death of Matt Shepard. [It] quintessentially presents the… effect on the town,” she asserts, and “[tracks] how this event [has] affected their lives and how they themselves have changed.” As Tigner describes, “The Laramie Project” follows the changes that occur in Laramie as a result of Matthew Shepard’s death. These changes can be seen in how characters are depicted and what moments the play chooses to highlight. For example, in the beginning of the play, Detective Sergent Rob Debree is shown as unsympathetic, treating McKinney and Henderson’s brutal hate crime like any other murder in Laramie. He, like many other townspeople, did not understand or approve of homosexuality. Compelled by the death of Matthew Shepard, however, Debree begins to question his previous beliefs and judgments. The transformation is complete towards the end of the show, when he explains that his new opinions have been a challenge for him. “I’ve lost some buddies,” he admits, “but I don’t care.” Citing the story of Debree and others like it, “The Laramie Project” focuses on this individual choice to reevaluate and change on account of Matthew’s murder. The Tectonic Theatre Company includes these testimonies to chronicle the change they embody, or as Tigner writes, to show “how this event [has] affected their lives.”
The murder of Matthew Shepard is central to “The Laramie Project.” It was Matt’s death that brought the Tectonic Theatre Company to Laramie, Wyoming. It was the incomprehensible act of hate committed against Matthew that inspired change in the townspeople. Surprisingly though, Matthew Shepard is not a character in the play. As Amy Tigner writes in her article, Matthew Shepard is a “hero… marked by his absence.” He is mentioned almost constantly throughout the play, but he fails to be represented as a person or character in the show. As an audience member, one gets the idea that he is presented merely as an event or an idea. He becomes a point of reference in the play, used to qualify the reactions of the townspeople. For example, Laramie resident Harry Woods describes the homecoming parade following Matthew Shepard’s death. In a powerful and emotional scene, he remembers how “the tag at the end of the parade” walking in memory of Matt grew to be “bigger than the entire parade.” The people of Laramie are walking to honor Matt, but this scene is relevant because it shows the great sympathy and support that has grown in Laramie over time. Matthew is merely the qualifier. His death gives context to the events that followed, giving importance to that mob walking the streets of Laramie. Just as Harry Woods’ testimony is powerful because it shows that the townspeople of Laramie have changed in the wake of Henderson and McKinny’s hate crime, Matthew’s murder is important as the momentum behind that change.
Setting out for Laramie, Wyoming, Moisès Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Company aimed to investigate the effects of Matthew Shepard’s untimely death. They interviewed townspeople to understand the personal reactions and changes resulting from such a heinous crime. As the title of the play suggests, they set out to examine the town Laramie in reference to Matt. Although he is not an active character in the show, he is important as a single event that shook every single townsperson. Matthew Shepard and the event of his death frame their testimonies and validating their responses. Pulling the pieces together, the Tectonic Theatre Company created a meaningful documentary and play, commenting on homophobia in a modern day rural town.
-Ryan Schultz
Friday, April 9, 2010
Political Fallout
As of 2008 there are several states who do not cover attacks based on a person's "Sexual Orientation or Gender" as a hate crime, which are; Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. In fact as of 2008, Wyoming, which is where the hate crime movement to include sexual orientation started due to the death of Matthew Shepard, has no hate crime laws at all. Wyoming does not cover hate crimes based on; Motivated Violence, Civil Action, Race, Religion, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Gender, Disability, and Vandalism. From 2000 to 2008 there were, on average, 1,510 hate crimes based on Sexual Orientation throughout the United States and overall there were 9,500 hate crimes committed. A simple, non in depth analysis would reveal that the states listed are, for the most part, heavily conservative in nature. However it is important to understand that it does not mean conservatives are pro-hate crime. In order to fully comprehend the position of those states it is important to know why they oppose hate crime legislation. There are two sides to the hate crime debate. Those who are not in favor of hate crime laws believe it causes an unjust bias towards those who the laws do not protect. Why should the murder of a homosexual be treated harsher than a murder due to a robbery? They believe that it is not in the best interest of a society meant to be "fair and equal" if certain groups have more protection than others. Furthermore they believe that by making a crime a "hate crime" it can pit one group of people versus another, if a white male murders a homosexual then it would ignite anger between the two groups if it was shown to be a hate crime. However those in favor argue that a crime perpetrated on someone who represents a much larger portion of the society, as in a murder due to someone's sexual orientation, hurts society as a whole and can cause backlash amongst groups. A recent example would be the murder of Matthew Shepard, his murder, which was based in part on him being a homosexual, would be viewed (by those who favor hate crime legislation) as an attack on the homosexual community as a whole. They believe that hate crimes harm society as a whole and so hate crimes legislation is meant to be used as a significant deterrent.
It would appear that the United States of America did little in the years after his death to protect those who are subject to hate crimes. The bipartisan control of the United States government created excellent gridlock on partisan issues. Republicans were wary of passing hate crime legislation as they are opposed to it and, at the time, controlled Congress. It wasn't until 2009 that Democrats controlled two branches of government and managed to pass the bill. The larger question it brings up is how ought the United States treat hate crimes, each party has their view on the issue and will not accept the other side's viewpoints. Republicans accuse Democrats of using "normal murders" to pass "silly legislation", "The hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This -- the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills." (Rep. Foxx R-N.C.) Until Americans are willing to have an honest discussion about what place society holds for hate crime legislation and whether it would be easier to implement a nationwide standard in regard to the issue the "hate" between the two sides will not disappear and the vitriol between them will continue to get worse while ordinary citizens are subject to various nationwide standards.
Manipulation of Nature
As David Brooks put it, in the New York Times, “Human beings are virtuous and free in their natural state. It is only corrupt institutions that make them venal.” Because we are surrounded by millions of different people and beliefs each and every day, we must work harder to avoid the “corruptness” of society and let our innate goodness dominate, but many people are able to accomplish this. In Laramie, Wyoming when Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay in October of 1998, the majority of people who were involved in the case exemplified a great deal of kindness; only a select few could be considered evil. The actions and opinions of most citizens in the town demonstrate that the majority of people respect human life and have instincts that drive them to help others. So what about society, and Laramie in particular, caused the perpetrators to commit such a heinous crime?
On the night that they brutally beat and abandoned Matthew, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson showed absolutely no respect for human life. Instead of seeing another person in their victim, all they saw was a gay man, a type of being they had learned to hate. McKinney and Russell had been brought up in a society that appears to live by the “live and let live” philosophy. However, it seems that this philosophy is really just another version of the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy, and it fosters hatred by not openly discussing important issues. When someone is not taught that a certain thing is okay to speak about, the assumption is usually that it is wrong. It is this philosophy that I believe played a major role in the hatred towards, and subsequently, murder of Matthew. It is likely that the people who McKinney and Henderson were surrounded by did not explicitly condone hatred of homosexuals, but it is obvious that they also did not explain that this hatred was wrong. When this is coupled with the fact that our society as a whole is ruled by biased laws and has the major religion constantly debating whether or not homosexuality is wrong, it is not surprising that the perpetrators inherent goodness was sacrificed and pushed aside by evil.
However, other people grew up just as these boys did, but unlike the boys, the majority of the townspeople shared appalled and disgusted opinions towards the incident. They were able to overcome the corruption around them, and demonstrate inherent goodness in the most dire of times. The first example of someone who demonstrated naturally good instincts was Aaron Kreifels, the first person to discover Matthew in the field. Kreifels reacted immediately, without any information, because his instinct was to help the person who needed him simply because “it was a human being.” Reggie Fluty, the Laramie police officer who cut Matthew down from the fence also demonstrates the victory of natural goodness in a person. When Fluty arrived on the scene, she knew nothing other than the fact that he was a human being in need of her help. It did not matter who he was, what had happened to him, or why. In the Laramie Project, she describes the scene and explains that the only thing running through her mind was, “Don’t hesitate,” because you cannot just let a human being suffer like that. Reggie Fluty’s actions were the epitome of naturally good instincts in a human being, so much so that she even risked her life by exposing herself to his blood. As I said earlier, the farther we move away from our natural environment, the more our behavior will change. This could explain why Reggie Fluty acted the way she did, because small towns are closer to nature than big cities. When humans first began, one of their first priorities was to look after their kin, and similar values are still held in small towns, like Laramie, today. People look out for others, because they believe that everyone will look out for them. In “Sociobiology,” Paul Magnarella explains that “I would be expected to save a drowning man . . . only if I could expect him to reciprocate in the future by saving or protecting my life.” So what was different between McKinney and Henderson and someone like Fluty? I believe it is the fact that Fluty had spent her whole life isolated in Laramie, a small seemingly innocent town, but the two boys had been more exposed to the outside because of generational characteristics like the internet and television. Therefore, society’s immorality was able to affect the perpetrators on a deeper level than Fluty.
Laramie, Wyoming is probably as close to nature as a person can come without forfeiting all of society’s comforts. This is why the majority of people living in the town are able to easily demonstrate innate goodness towards others. But the fact that acts of evil are still committed here shows that the human institutions that have come to control our lives has caused many people, especially those who are younger and have been more exposed, to lose a great deal of that natural decency. Nearly all of the townspeople recognized the fact that no matter what lifestyle Matthew Shepard had been living, a human life had been taken, and that was wrong. The anomalies of the people who did not see taking another’s life as unjust had been manipulated by their upbringing in a corrupt world. After viewing The Laramie Project, I am more sure than ever in my belief that people are inherently good, and more skeptical than ever of the way society has developed.
Media Coverage of the Matthew Shepard Murder
Colleen Feeney
3-9-10
Media Coverage of the Matthew Shepard Murder
In a chilling moment in the film, “The Laramie Project”, an entire nation waited to hear the devastating news of Matthew Shepard’s death. In this particular case, the media took a strong interest and connected with the small town and the brutal murder. It is imperative to question what made the murder so different and why there was so much attention paid to it. By tracking different articles from “The New York Times”, it is possible to determine the attitudes toward the incident and how they changed over time.
The Matthew Shepard case was not the first time someone of the Homosexual community had been attacked for their sexual orientation. There are many different factors that made his case different. One of these factors is that when looking at Matthew, he looks non-threatening and he is easy to feel sympathy for. This made it much easier to paint him as a perfect, innocent martyr. The brutality of the crime also set it apart from other incidents because it was not a simple or humane murder. He was beaten and left to die and this furthered his image of being helpless and alone. It was an opportunity to draw attention to an issue that had become more and more pressing. However, even Matthew’s parents acknowledge that the media tended to make him seem more perfect than he was.
For example, in the first report by the New York Times, "Gay Man Beaten and Left for Dead; 2 Are Charged", there was an already an extremely sympathetic tone. This is demonstrated in the quotes included. For example, when describing how the incident began, the quote included is coming from a man who is in tears about the incident who states “He was sitting at the bar, having a beer, when two men came up and talked to him… now he is in a coma”. Not only does this appeal on an emotional level, it also demonstrates that Matthew was just sitting, minding his own business when he was approached. This makes the reader feel sorry for Matthew. In this piece, background is given on Matthew, which also appeals to the media and contributes to the interest in the story because as a reader, there is a connection to him. The reader feels that they know him personally because they are familiar with the things he is involved with and the things he is passionate about. When describing the attack, the article spares no details, including the type of rifle and his begging for his life. The article also wastes no time in condemning the small town for their relationship with the gay community quoting Carla Brown saying, “If I were a homosexual in Laramie, I would hang low, very low”. Also, the writer includes that it was a hate crime and the article is centered on the idea that it was a hate crime even though at this point, the police only recognized it as a robbery. The rhetorical decisions the writer chose to make definitely enhanced the article and the connection the reader has with the incident.
In the second article the New York Times released after the attack, "After Beating of Gay Man Town Looks at its Attitudes" by James Brooke, Laramie’s values are once again called into question. Brooke similarly provides background to engage the reader and connect us to Matthew. Because this is not just a piece on the incident, Brooke includes stories from different people who have felt marginalized by the community for their sexual orientation. For example, he includes a story about a man who saw that a sign for a museum had been changed from ''Shoot a Day or Two,'' so that it read ''Shoot a Gay or Two.'' Even after politely informing the museum of this multiple times, his request that it be fixed was ignored. This illustrates the community in a way that makes it seem very intolerant and closed-minded. Brookes also uses examples that are more personal and individual. In one case, the editor of a newspaper was called a “faggot lover” because she was handing out the special edition dedicated to Matthew. One man in Laramie stated 'This incident was atypical in its brutality, but not in its underlying motive” and said that gay people “are frequently assaulted with derision, intolerance, insult and hostility -- if not guns and ropes.'' Though the article is suggestive that the town is very intolerant, Brooke establishes his ethos and builds his credibility by providing quotes from the people who thought Laramie was an “anti hate” community. He includes quotes such as “'We live in the Equality State,' 'Hate Is Not a Small Town Value -- No to Violence and Evil, and ''No Hate Crimes in Wyoming.'' which give Laramie a chance to redeem itself from all of the negative attention. The article also takes quotes from both families but it is obvious who the article is supporting. The quote provided from the Shepard family once again portrays them as the innocent victims and the quote provided from Aaron McKinney’s father made him seem ignorant. He did not seem to understand that the fact they attacked Matthew because of his sexual orientation was very important. He said ''Had this been a heterosexual these two boys decided to take out and rob, this never would have made the national news.” Though this may be true, Mr. McKinney does not recognize that a hate driven crime is more heinous than a simple robbery. It is also obvious that the media attention of the incident has increased because President Clinton is quoted in the article.
In the third article I examined, "Gay Murder Trial Ends With Guilty Plea", James Brooke paints Russell Henderson painted as a monster for the crime he committed. He briefly includes the kind words of Russell’s grandmother and she attempts to say that he was a kind and gentle boy, but the evidence included strongly suggests otherwise. When it is mentioned that he was not the mastermind of the situation and that he didn’t really want anything to do with it, it is coupled with the idea he just said that to get out of the death penalty and throw his partner under the bus. The judge is quoted saying “This court does not believe you feel any true remorse in this matter.” The attorney, Cal Rerucha, is also quoted and he states ''It is my hope that Mr. Henderson will die in the Wyoming State Penitentiary, the only time he leaves the Wyoming State Penitentiary is when they bury him.'' By including these quotes from officials, who have seen the worst crimes, it makes what these men did seem especially horrible. The closing quote of a grieving father makes the reader feel like they are in the court room but more importantly, you feel the pain that Mr. Shepard is going through and you grieve with him. He states powerfully, ''My son was born blind, not physically blind, but blind to people's differences -- short or tall, black, brown or white, religion or ethnic backgrounds. His friends included gays and so-called straights.'' Throughout the article you get a sense of what Matthew was like through these accounts and they make the reader wish they could connect with Matthew. He is portrayed as such a kind, loving, accepting individual that almost serves as a foil to Russell Henderson’s cruelty.
In the final article I analyzed, "Parents of Gay Obtain Mercy for His Killer" written by Michael Janofsky the roles established by earlier articles are acted out. There is no background provided on Aaron McKinney and he doesn’t say anything but a simple apology, which makes him seem inauthentic. The Shepard family on the other hand, is represented very well. The strength and mercy they showed were unimaginable and the quotes provided from Mr. Shepard demonstrate this. He addresses Aaron McKinney personally and says “I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney however, this is the time to begin the healing process, to show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy.” He also says, “Mr. McKinney, I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday or the Fourth of July, remember that Matthew isn't. Every time you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night.'' He concluded, with obvious emotion: “You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. May you live a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it.” The idea that the attackers were all bad and the victim was completely innocent is definitely apparent in this article.
After analyzing different articles about the events surround Matthew Shepard’s murder, it is apparent to me why this case was different. Many different factors led the media to be able to paint the story in a way that the American public could relate to. The victim was literally small, alone, and minding his own business and the attackers were drunk, hateful, and cruel. It was easy for the public to understand the story because it was easy to feel sadness and connect with the Shepard family. This was a horrible crime and hopefully, its widespread media coverage made it so that many people could learn that hatred wont end in anything positive.
The Motivation behind Hate Crimes
Although Henderson’s and McKinney’s families believe it was brought on by the intention of robbery, many argue the murder of Matthew Shepard was motivated by hate of homosexuals. Hate crimes, although steady in their statistics (due to the lack of crimes being reported), are dangerous acts that need to be observed and understood. By understanding what drives and motivates perpetrators to commit a hate crime, society can decrease the statistics and become more open to people who are different from the expected norm. The research article, Hate crimes against gay males by Danny Willis states that the United States Department of Justice “reported 1,486 hate crime offenses based on sexual orientation in 2000 resulting in 1,558 known victims. The majority, 1,023 or 68% of the offenses, were ‘anti-male homosexual’ meaning the offenses were directed at actual gay males or males perceived to be gay.”
There are many theories as to how anger generates and motivates hate crimes in society. In the research article What motivates hate crimes based on sexual orientation? Mediating effects of anger on antigay aggression, Dominic Parrott and John Peterson state that there are “three complimentary theoretical models that explain the motives for antigay aggression have garnered the most attention: sexual prejudice, peer dynamics and thrill seeking.” Parrot and Peterson also explain that these three theories can either be the sole motivating factor or the hate crime can be motivated by a combination of the theories.
Sexual prejudice, one of the possible motives for committing a hate crime, is having a negative regard towards non-heterosexual behavior and communities. Sexual prejudice can come about and grow throughout a person’s life from values taught through the family, society, or the religious community. Sexual prejudice can be demonstrated through aggression toward the gay community, then through anger, and finally through an act of hate crime.
Associated with sexual prejudice is the perception that homosexuality threatens traditional gender roles of society. This feeling of threat mixed in with anger can cause someone with sexual prejudice to lash out and become violent. For example Parrott and Peterson state, “sexually prejudiced individuals perceive same sex relationships as a threat to core values and to traditional social institutions such as marriage.” Sexually prejudiced individuals feel as though sexual behavior that deviates from their own gender role threatens the stability of society. This threat of an unstable society can cause sexual prejudiced individuals to commit hate crimes against homosexual men. As Parrot and Peterson discuss recent research, “survey-based studies have demonstrated a positive association between sexual prejudice and self-reported past aggressive behavior toward gay men.” Once a sexually prejudiced person feels threatened by homosexuality and already feels it to be wrong behavior, anger and aggression can build up against gay men.
Peer dynamics can be another motive for committing a hate cry against gay men. Peer dynamics is the idea that a man might become aggressive towards gay men in order to prove his toughness and heterosexuality to his friends. If a man’s masculinity comes into question, he might become angry and try to regain that masculinity by showing aggression towards a homosexual male. Some men who have their masculinity challenged might simply just exaggerate stereotypical masculine emotions (like anger and toughness), however according to Parrott and Peterson, “aggression directed toward feminine targets, especially gay men, represents an ideal opportunity to publicly display one’s masculinity.”
Thrill seeking can also be a motive for participating in a hate crime, although it is usually a contributing motive to either sexual prejudice or peer dynamics. Thrill seeking is explained as an individual attacking a gay man simply out of boredom. In most cases, thrill seeking is the side dish to the main plate of sexual prejudice against gay men. According to Parrott and Peterson others that show aggression towards most individuals, pick gay men as their victims because “they are easy targets.”
Motivations of hate crime against gay men can be summarized into three theories: sexual prejudice, peer dynamics and thrill seeking. Although each branches out to its own explanation as to why an individual might commit a hate crime, the three theories of motives have a root similarity. All three must have grown and progressed from an individual who was taught to be prejudice against homosexuality or from and individual who has become angry from past experiences against gay men. Henderson and McKinney most likely had a combination of the three theories as motives to killing Matthew Shepard. They needed to reclaim there “manhood” after, as they stated, Matthew made a pass on them. They also had some bias and prejudice towards gay men. While being questioned by the sheriff, McKinney said, “No, I don’t” to the question of whether he like homosexuals. Part of the two young men’s motives must also have been to have a thrill and be amused. In the same questioning, McKinney states he could, “just remember Russ was laughing at first”. Henderson’s and McKinney’s statements and actions illustrate that all three main theories could have been the motives to killing Matthew Shepard. Understanding these motives of hate crimes can better help society and the government to stop from stories like Matthew Shepard’s of ever reoccurring.
Seeds of Hate Planted in Laramie
Michael Ufkes
Seeds of Hate Planted in Laramie
The Laramie project is a film that astutely observes a small town’s ability to capture the attention of an entire nation through a single, appalling act of violence. Matthew Shepard, a promising 21-year-old human rights activist, was a resident of this small Wyoming town. Unfortunately, he also served as the origin of the town’s abrupt infamy. Matthew Shepard was a gay man who was brutally beaten, tortured and left to die in the remote plains of Wyoming. The untimely death of Mr. Sheppard marked yet another heinous act produced by a small town, eerily reminiscent of tragedies such as the Scott Joe Weaver murder and the Lawrence King shooting. The remainder of this analysis will be dedicated to revealing some of these towns’ inherent cultural facets which aid in cultivating an atmosphere of tremendous hate and discrimination. By investigating various mindsets, beliefs and communal interactions we may be able to conclusively infer why these tragedies arise amidst similar settings. In regards to the audience towards which this analysis is primarily focused, I subscribe to the belief that the nation as a whole should have a vested interest in this matter. I make this claim as repercussions of such catastrophes span not over a single town, district or state, but have a resounding national influence. It is the responsibility of the entire nation, not just the towns or states in which these tragedies occur, to take action against such atrocities and not treat them as mere ephemeral national issues.
The first characteristic of Laramie, which could have been easily predicted as a precursor to the Matthew Shepard murder, was the unabashed, prejudiced treatment of the gay community. Throughout the film there are a plethora of examples illuminating the uncomfortable tensions between avid conservatives and their hesitant liberal counterparts. However, in one of the first Laramie interviews, the presence of a more blatant form of discrimination is established. Marge Murray, a long time Laramie resident and social worker is the first to expound upon this cruelty. “They might poke one, if they were in a bar situation, you know, they had been drinking, they might actually smack one in the mouth, but then they’d just walk away.” The detached manner in which she states this apparently accepted societal conduct is bewildering. After explaining how a gay man may very well be poked or smacked in the mouth for simply being in attendance at a local bar, she justifies these actions by categorizing them as the extent to which gay people were harassed. In other words, Ms. Murray informs the interviewer that the barometer for which gay people can be mistreated includes, but is also limited to, occasional bigotry and physical violence. What is frightening is the fact that these are views held by a relatively neutral member of the Laramie community. They represent beliefs commonly held amongst the mothers, aunts, uncles, workers, and teachers of the town. These beliefs, which were distinctly doused in racism, did not even take into account the more fanatical viewpoints of the Laramie population. It seemed as though this discrimination had permeated the very fabric of the town’s culture and had firmly established itself as a norm, never to be questioned or scrutinized. What I now call into question is how, under such insular conditions, was the travesty surrounding Matthew Shepard not expected? When analyzing the peculiar almost “twilight zone-esque” atmosphere that these people lived in, it is undeniable that Laramie was a hotbed for this type of racially charged behavior. The fact that this discriminatory treatment was widely held as a standard of the town, also speaks to a very enabling demeanor that the people had adopted. In essence, the majority of the town had an adamant interest in perpetuating the town’s inequality. Prior to the Matthew Shepard murder, those who refuted this discrimination were quieted by the deeply enrooted intolerance the town had embraced. To sum, I attribute this very deliberate and widely accepted intolerance, as one of the towns foremost reasons for the imminent hate crime. Anytime a town collectively adheres to the maltreatment of a certain demographic, they epitomize an atmosphere where tragedy is simply unavoidable.
The second characteristic of Laramie that undoubtedly contributed to the ultimate execution of Matthew Shepard revolves around the convoluted idea encapsulated by the term “live and let live.” This is a phrase that surfaces frequently among the film’s dialogue and refers to the principle that people were “free” to pursue whatever personal endeavors as long as they were not made public. Jonas Slonaker, a gay resident of Laramie, helps to exemplify how the live and let live motto was not embedded in any form of acceptance, but rather was utilized as means of passive aggressive tolerance. “Live and Let live, that is crap you know? Basically what it boils down to: If I don’t tell you I’m a fag, you wont beat the crap out of me. That’s a great philosophy?” Further, the motto was seemingly implemented to abate the evil that gay people could potentially infect the rest of the town with. The live and let live credo inherently created an invisible partition, isolating one group from the rest. It was a theory that left those minority members in quarantine, unable to truly live as they desired. It is evident, upon further analysis, that live and let live is not an expression striving for freedom, but an axiom devoted to repression and segregation. It represented an avenue for those uncomfortable with gays to do the bare minimum in both acknowledging and tolerating their presence.
A community is composed of the network of people living in a common area or land. These interactions are based on societal interactions and relational synergism. But when these components of a community are only applicable to certain “favorable” demographics, it leaves room for festering tensions and hostility among the population. Ultimately, this deeply seeded hostility manifested itself into the violent murder of Matthew Shepard. Where the live and let live doctrine spoke to a hallow sense of tolerance, what it should have been promoting is unreserved acceptance. Briefly defined, tolerance is “the capacity to endure an amount of variation or behavior that one does not agree with”. In and of itself, the definition harbors a sense of forced compliance with an unwanted factor. This was the mindset of many of the Laramie residents. They were simply enduring the presence of an unwanted people. In recognizing the meaning of tolerance it is not farfetched to conclude that those who murdered Matthew Shepard were simply tired of enduring the stigma that he represented. Live and let live did an excellent job in disguising its underlying objectives and offered a collective excuse for the societal interactions of Laramie. To reiterate my initial argument, the deconstruction of the live and let live phrase is yet another example of a widely accepted belief that led to the preordained murder of Matthew Shepard. It is useful in the sense that it serves as a warning sign, that any town which pledges a halfhearted allegiance to tolerance exhibits resistance to fully accepting the group in question. In essence, Laramie used the live and let live phrase to avoid the more difficult task of accepting divergent lifestyles.
In summation, by explicating both the blatant and implicit forms of prejudice incorporated by Laramie, it is not difficult to assume that conflicting convictions would ultimately reach a devastating climax. What is most valuable from this tragedy is that it magnified the specific environmental components that often result in malicious acts. By placing Matthew Shepard on a large, national scale, more people may have been inclined to acknowledge specific facets that their own town shared with Laramie. In doing so, some of these hate-inciting factors could be potentially avoided. Recognizing these detrimental societal factors and being proactive in their elimination is the underlying premise upon which this analysis is based.
In Defense of Laramie
believed them when I heard their voices in the Laramie Project film state, “Laramie is not this way”. The people of Laramie, though wrought with devastation, had to defend everything they had ever known and believed. A town known by few before 1998, Laramie, Wyoming was suddenly swamped with media and recognized as a place filled with hatred towards homosexuals. My question is, is this fair? Is it just and logical to give a town such a reputation of hatred to the point where good people who mean and do well would hesitate to go there? I do not believe it should be so. We do not throw babies away when they poop in their diapers, nor do we disown our family members after an argument. Just as we do not throw babies away or disown our family, neither should we dub Laramie, Wyoming or any place or person with a negative reputation based on the actions of a few people. Everyone and everything deserves an opportunity for another chance because mistakes happen to the best of us, there is some good in everything, and assuming that a majority of the time most people are reasonable, there is a reason that people call Laramie home and, for that, it deserves to be defended.
Before the tragedy, Laramie was recognized as the town of the west. A visit Laramie website, called Live the West, states that Laramie was recognized for its beautiful landscape, rich culture, and plethora of outdoor activities. According to The Laramie Boomerang, a local newspaper, Laramie is so dedicated to outdoor activities that it is even supporting bike and pedestrian policies in Wyoming. In spite of this, Laramie is identified widely as the town of the hate crime. Tragedies happen everywhere and everyone makes mistakes; even the most perfect invention malfunctions. This is not to say forget about the tragedies that occur but, rather, do not let those negative aspects be the forefront of any judgment. It is only logical to give a pro and con to everything. The basis of every rational decision is to look at both sides. There are few human beings who would prefer to be viewed in a negative light. Most want to be remembered for their best qualities of brilliance, kindness, talent, etc. How many of us have been late to class or a meeting or been swamped with a lot of work and missed the deadline for something? None of us would want to be branded as disrespectful or irresponsible. For a weightier example: how many of us have broken something expensive or stolen something or hurt someone? None of us would want to be forever branded as a destructive person or a thief or an abuser. Let us give Laramie the same opportunity we all ask for. Let us give Laramie the benefit of a doubt and see it as something that is characterized more so for its good qualities than its negative ones.
Laramie, in spite of its tragedy, is a place filled with good people. It is a close-knit community in which people have know each other for their entire lives. People live there, and people stay there. There is too much good going on in the town for it to be known only for the tragedy that happened there. Some may argue that Laramie, though it may have positive qualities, created an environment that was conducive for such a violent hate crime to occur. I would have to agree with this but I implore everyone to also look at the other things that were able to occur in Laramie, Wyoming because the environment was conducive for it. People are educated there, people make a living there, people raise their families there. People stand for their friends and family there. In the film, The Laramie Project, after the death of Matthew Shepard, a group of Laramie residents marched for him in the local parade. In addition, when a radical group was professing fire and brimstone on Matthew Shepard, a group of Laramie residents blocked the signs with handmade angel wings. The integrity of Laramie and its good-standing should be defended because there is good to be defended.
In Act I of the Laramie Project, the residents of Laramie, Wyoming state that they love it there because, “My kids can play outside at night and I don’t have to think twice about it” , “…Laramie is a beautiful town…secluded enough where you can have your own identity…” and “It’s a good place to live. Good people—lots of space”. Jonas Slonaker knew it would be difficult as a homosexual to live in Laramie, but that was the place he wanted to live. Even knowing he would be an anomaly, he knew Laramie was the place for him. Colorado Springs is my hometown and like Laramie, to the outside world it is associated with an unfortunate event. Colorado Springs is infamous for the Ted Haggard incident. People outside of Colorado Springs may associate it with that incident, but when I think of Colorado Springs, I think of various other things. I think of Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the zoo. I think of my elementary school, middle school, and high school. I think of my home, my church, and my family. I have quite a bit of empathy for the residents of Laramie who love their hometown and do not want it identified with a hate crime. The residents of Laramie are willing to defend their town and livelihood, and that is worth taking note of.
The question of whether or not to define and label a town by its past actions is an ethical dilemma to say the least and has been attached with clichés. Don’t throw the baby out with the baby water; can’t see the forest for the trees are some of these. When is it fair to denounce a town because of past actions? Where is the line? A little poop does ruin a batch of brownies and a half millimeter spot of Louisiana Pete’s hot sauce ruins the perfect wedding dress. It may be more forgiving. A barbeque stain on a white shirt is nothing a little bleach won’t fix and even the worst scars don’t bleed forever. This argument must be qualified simply because there are a handful of counter examples to the argument. There are places even I hesitate going because of actions past. The South, though hospitable and beautiful, is a place that I do not think of with such ease. My argument is not that anyone who has a negative connotation of a specific place is wrong; my argument is simply: think twice. Wisdom and caution are necessary in every situation, but so is the ability to understand that mistakes happen, there is good in a lot of things, and if something is worth defending, it is important to consider both sides. Did a wrong and brutal tragedy occur in Laramie? Yes. Are there people in the town who have ignorant and aggressive notions towards those who do not have a traditional sexual orientation? Yes. This, however, should not be the end all be all of Laramie, Wyoming. In defense of Laramie, give Laramie the chance to renew its reputation and be known for the beautiful town that it is, not the ugly hate crime that occurred there.
The Value of Human Life: Who’s worth more, you or me?
The Laramie project opened my eyes to a story I vaguely had remembered from when I was a child, though I did not really understand what the big deal was, I was eight and ignorant. Watching the Laramie Project, I saw and heard many things I could have gone through life without hearing. Not because they were gruesome or cruel, but people did this, people who at the time were a year older then I am now, people who grew up in Small Town USA, a postcard community for the West. But from this evil, rose good.
The people of Laramie in the film kept saying they were a “live and let live” community, which as time went on became more obvious they were really saying they were a “don’t ask, don’t tell” community.” Thinking about it as the movie went on, I thought about this summer, working at Fenway Park during the Paul McCartney concert, and when Paul sang, “You used to say live and let live…/But in this ever changing world in which we live in/Makes you give in and cry/Say live and let die.” I realized this is what happens at the end of the film, from Matthew’s death rose courage, like a phoenix from its ashes, only instead of one, hundreds of people from across the nation and around the world rose up, and announced their sexuality with pride.
They said they were going to live, and let the terror die, the terror of what would happen to me if I “came out.” In the 11 years that have passed, hate crime legislation has finally passed, but is that what we as a nation have been striving to reach for so long? Does it hold true to other fights people have had for so many years?
In the almost 234 years since the Declaration of Independence has been written, we as a nation have made strides towards the statement “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Granted when the Declaration was drafted “men” only included white males, but since then “men” now includes people of all genders, races, creeds, religions, etc. There are exceptions now though, because of legislations past, we are equal in politics, but our lives now have different values placed upon them. Hate crime legislation, though logical in installment and passing of bills and laws, creates an imbalance in how equal we are as people.
National Defense Authorization Act states those found guilty of a hate crime “shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both” or “shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if; death results from the offense; or the offense includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.“ The second half of the sentencing is a restatement of current law for the crimes listed, not matter what the motivation for the crime was. What creates an inequality in the population is the first section of the sentencing. What this is saying is, if someone has a crime committed against them, and someone else has the same crime committed against them because of their race, religion, sexuality, etc, while one criminal could walk free, the other criminal may go away for 1o years more then the original sentence. For within the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the act gives authority to the Attorney General to supply communities with extra manpower and priority in federal labs to prosecute the alleged offender. This also raises the question in my mind of the investigators, prosecutors and lab technicians developing “tunnel vision.”
In my first year seminar (Introduction to Forensic Science and Real Life CSI), we were taught about the Cameron Todd Willingham case, a Texas man who is thought to have been wrongfully convicted and executed due to invalid forensic evidence. What if this happens to a person who is tried for a hate crime and put to death instead of life in prison? What if this happens because of the extra, advanced technology that happens to have a flaw? Expectations are created when extra money is added, people want answers, and sometimes human nature takes over and lawyers miss these wrongs until it is too late. Timothy Masters was a more local case we learned about, a man who spent 10 years in jail after being wrongfully convicted, what if he had been charged with a hate crime and convicted, what if he was given the needle? The police were so certain it was him, there were no doubts in their mind. Well they were wrong, A hypothetical situation now, a man sets fire to the home of a Jewish family for personal reasons, another man walking along the street is spotted by police matching the criminals description. The police bring the man to the station, find out he is a member of the Arian Brotherhood, and they are convinced they have their man. For arson and murder the innocent man is put on death row because it is a hate crime, and though he may have committed countless crimes, justice is not served because a guilty man walks.
Hate crimes do cause terror in populations, but when doesn’t crime cause terror in a population. According to a November 16, 2006 article in the Seattle Times, 15.4% of the population of San Francisco is gay. Though depending on the area there may be higher or lower percentages, however, should someone commit a crime in San Fran, there is a 3-in-20 chance it was committed against someone who is homosexual or bisexual. Is this automatically a hate crime? No. Say the crime was robbery, and it happened in a neighborhood with approximately half homes homo- or bisexual and the other half heterosexual. And say this is a very nice neighborhood in San Francisco, and the robber comes back and happens to hit the home of a gay couple. This all happens by chance, but going to sleep the night after the second robbery the heterosexual families aren’t going to bed with their doors unlocked. The same criminal terrifies the population of the entire area. With this all going on, is there terror in the entire GLBTQ population across America? No, or at least it shouldn’t be. It’s understandable for people to be afraid when a crime occurs, but until proven beyond a reasonable doubt the crime was committed out of hate, there is no reason to feel a group is targeted. Acts of terrorism are understandable to cause fear through the entire group, but those are not everyday crimes. The value of one life should not supersede the value of another, no matter what their religion, race, sexuality, etc. That is what the Civil Rights movement was all about, equality; in the work place, in credit, in buying homes, so why is there inequality in the court room?
A quote that has found a special place in me, in the realization of life occurred during the end of The Boondock Saints in a courtroom in Boston, Murphy says to the crowd, “Do not kill, do not rape, do not steal, these are principles which every man of every faith can embrace.” And embrace this I do, but one key fact about this quote is it covers all humans, about the entirety of the world, it does not specify who it would be worse to kill, and that is what people need to see and accept.
Being born and raised Irish Catholic in Boston, I have been taught to love my brother and treat others the way I would like to be treated myself. I also have been taught Leviticus 18:22 translated as “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” But I also know God loves all of his children, whether they do right or wrong by the Bible, as long as they believe and praise his word. Living in the first state to legalize and practice same-sex marriages, I have seen protests supporting and condemning the decision of the state. From all this, I have learned and decided physical attraction is based on who one is, whether is it to the same or opposite sex, and some argue God made them that way when other are saying they are defying God. I believe the reason is not important, what I do believe is to honor my neighbor.
Scientifically I am a Homo sapien, unique in my own rights, but in the eyes of the nation why should I be any different and represented any differently then another man because he is different racially, religiously, etc. I do not believe Hate Crime Legislation is fair and equal, which is what the nation has been striving for since the abolition of slavery, and continued within the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What is fair and equal we pre hate crime legislation. I do not condone beatings or murders based on bias, but murder is murder. At the end of the investigation, someone’s life was wrongfully ended and someone should pay. But they should pay the same price for killing one man as they do for another, that is what is fair and equal, and it is what we should return our nation to.