Matthew Shepard, you will not be forgotten. (homosexuals, blood, legislation)

[GeneCosta]

Then:

Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Shepard met McKinney and Henderson in a bar. According to McKinney, Shepard asked them for a ride home. Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, severely beaten, pistol whipped, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area and left to die. McKinney and Henderson also found out his address, intending to burglarize his home. Shepard was discovered by a cyclist 18 hours later, still alive but unconscious.
Shepard suffered a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear. He had severe brain stem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature and other vital signs. There were also about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. As he lay in intensive care, candlelight vigils were held in support around the world.[3]
He was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins[4][5][6][7]. Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim's shoes and wallet in their truck. [8]
The two men had attempted to get their girlfriends to provide alibis

Now:

On May 3, the United States House passed the federal hate crimes legislation with bi-partisan support (237 - 180). The legislation now heads to the United States Senate, where it has been renamed the Matthew Shepard Act. In response to this, Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, said "I can’t think of a better way to honor Matthew’s memory. He was a 21-year-old college student just living his life."

Bush threatens veto:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/...ill/index.html

The White House has threatened to veto a bill passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday that expands hate-crime laws to include attacks based on sexual orientation or gender.

Under current law, hate crimes are subject to federal prosecution only if the acts of violence are motivated by race, religion, color or national origin. Federal prosecutors get involved only if the victim is engaged in a federally protected activity, such as voting or participating in interstate commerce.

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by GeneCosta

Bush threatens veto:

He is just giving us all one more reason to hate him more.

[GeneCosta]

Now Becky, we can't respond to hate with hate.

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by GeneCosta

Now Becky, we can't respond to hate with hate.

Dislikement then?

[Dr. Nosophoros]

Wow, and to believe that another story at the same time was suppressed that involved homosexuals asphyxiating a boy with his own underwear while it was duct taped into his mouth during "sex games" while offenders got a cheeseburger was ignored while politicians played up what they could, what else should one expect from this topical vomit inducing society? You disgust me.

[GeneCosta]

Wow, and to believe that another story at the same time was suppressed that involved homosexuals asphyxiating a boy with his own underwear and duct tape during "sex games" while they got a cheeseburger was ignored while politicians played up what they could, what else should one expect from this topical vomit inducing society? You disgust me.

I've never heard of this story.

[The Seeker]

I personally don't see the need for a hate-crime law. If someone murders or assaults another person they should get the same sentence regardless of whether their actions were based on racial, religious, sex-based, etc. A crime is a crime regardless of the motive.

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by Dr. Nosophoros

Wow, and to believe that another story at the same time was suppressed that involved homosexuals asphyxiating a boy with his own underwear while it was duct taped into his mouth during "sex games" while offenders got a cheeseburger was ignored while politicians played up what they could, what else should one expect from this topical vomit inducing society? You disgust me.

Let's see a news story of this, then. I've never heard of it... though I don't doubt that it could happen.

How old was this boy? How old were the other people involved? Was there any sign this was anything more than an accident?

You know what disgusts me? People taking one example of someone from a varied group of people and making it out as though every person from said group acts this way.

That's downright disgusting.