Nanny

Can't his parents? How old was this kid when he died?

CrAZyBeAuTiFuL4

I think it's sick and just plain wrong. Sure, this pastor has a right to express his own opinion, but what he wants to put on the statue is for sure hate speech and I can't belive anyone would actually let him put that kind of thing in a public place. Not to mention how his ignorance effects the boys family. Matthew Sheppard was a human being just like the rest of us and he deserved to be treated with respect while he was living and his memory and spirit deserve to be treated with respect even after he's passed on.

By putting this statue up, it would only be sending the message that anit-homosexual crimes are okay and acceptable, which they aren't. A human is a human regardless of which sex they prefer.

Nanny

*stands up and applauds*

ManSlippers

Then the Anti-Gay crime comes back into play. WAS it a crime? WAS it because he was gay?

Think about this. The dude hit on the other two guys and tried to get them to "do" things with him. They didn't like what was happening, so they kicked his ass and I think hung him to a fence or something.

I disagree with the entire thing to be honest. I don't think it was because he was gay, the dudes just didn't like getting hit on, and that's the end of it. Also, I don't believe they went into it intending to kill him. Hell, they didn't even know he was dead or that he might have been dying, etc.

Might as well label any fight that happens anywhere as a hate crime. "OMG HE HAS BLONDE HAIR! I HATE BLONDE HAIR." "OMG I NEED TO PROVE IM TOUGHER!" *kicks ass*

I think that people knew he was gay, started up some bullshit "it was because he was gay" story, and went from there. The two dudes even said that it wasn't "because he was gay" but because they "didn't like being hit on and touched".

CrAZyBeAuTiFuL4

Okay, so say it wasn't a hate crime. The pastor is then just exploiting someones death which may or may not have been caused by anti gay opinions...why the fuck bring up the fact that he's gay if they aren't sure it was a hate crime. It was a crime for sure, murder is a crime.

I find it hard to believe that it wasn't a hate crime though. So if he was hitting on these guys, they didn't need to get physical with him, they didn't need to start kicking his ass. There had to be another motive other than "I don't want you hitting on me." that made them do what they did. That's just my opinion though. And also, since Matthew can't speak for himself, we'll never know what truly happend.

BTW...thanks Brandon

ManSlippers

True, but not everyone has a twisted mind like mine. Since everything was "OMG HATE CRIME HATE CRIME" it's drilled into everyone. People rarely think about the what ifs, and look at evidence and witnesses and what actually was going on. It was a crime if their main purpose was to kill the guy, but, as they said themselves, it wasn't, and I can believe that.

I don't believe what the pastor is planning to do, if it's even true (I haven't really seen ANY news stories on this), but it's not up to me to limit someone's free speech or decide whether it should be allowed to happen. It's on his own conscience.

Maybe someone should go right after him and make a big arrow monument pointing to the so-called "hate" monument, with a big plaque saying "Pastor Dickhead, entered hell the day he made this monument". I mean think about it, isn't it against his religion to judge someone else, or assume his fate?

Why was he hitting on people he really didn't know anyway? That's not cool. It was risky of him to do that. Plus, getting in someone's personal space is just a no-no. Its not uncommon people gettin their ass beat for invading personal space, or doing something that puts someone in an odd place. I mean when I was 16 or 17, I wasn't used to that type of shit, and if someone made advances at me, I got weirded out, and not being exposed to it much at all, I didn't like someone bein all up in my space, so I'd kick some ass. Not like a brutal assbeating, just a "don't fuck with me" type, you know. But now, I know how to handle that type of thing without the physical violence.

Maybe so, but again they said their intentions were NOT to kill him. His death was an accident. But how many people actually stop to look at the discussion way back when. Everyone just assumes hate crime hate crime cause he's gay, because that's what was printed everywhere. 98% of it is fabrication.

Unfortunately, true.

Britlove444

This is by far the sadest thing that i have seen. This is why i dont like religion at all cuz all it does is make things ok that are totaly not. Fuck them they are in bum fuck shit hole anyways. **cryies**

Britlove444

By the wat He was not hitting on them at all. U should know what u are talking about before u do talk.

pasta2

if this thing ever does get set up, which it wont, who's down for road-tripping there and smashing that thing to bits?

im in.

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check this out: http://www.britneyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67571

ManSlippers

HAHAHAHA okay, right. That's bullshit. I think you should do some research before you make yourself look stupid.

And by all means, please learn to spell.