UC News Record |
Opinion Page
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Oct. 14, 1998 |
| For some reason, I don't think there's going to be a lot of participation in
Coming Out Week at the university this year.
Monday morning's early death of 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard will stop many youths from revealing their sexual orientation. Last week, two men allegedly hit Shepard on the head with a pistol, then strung him up like a scarecrow on a fencepost just outside his hometown. Why? The suspects say it was because Shepard made passes at one of them in front of his friends. Bicyclists found Shepard tied to the post in near-freezing temperatures Wednesday. The small-bodied kid, only 5-foot-2 and 105 pounds, was in a coma until his death early Monday. I am not sad today. Rather, I am disgusted at a society that justifies the amount of hatred it does. Do you see now what beliefs such as "Love the sinner, hate the sin" and the like are doing to the world? They send out mixed messages to those who don't know what to believe. All I can say is anyone who would condemn members of the gay community for being who they really are had better not come knocking at my door. At least not this week. I can no longer bring myself to entertain any thoughtful discussion on the morality or immorality of homosexuality. Why? Because it always comes back to what your religious beliefs are. |
And, whether you like it or not, religion is still 100 percent subjective. Without
question.
There are enough closed-minded bigots in this world who still believe African-Americans are lower-class citizens and should be enslaved. Stop giving bigots justifications for their hate. An innocent life was lost early Monday morning. Yes, innocent. Nothing justifies beating the daylights out of somebody and leaving him to die. Hopefully, as the news spreads, the citizens of this nation will be outraged. But I fear the common reaction will be indifference or even joy at winning a battle against those evil gays. This editorial is really out of character for me. My friends and co-workers will say I'm one of the most rational people they know. Normally I will think things through before I put my thoughts on paper. But not this week. I might even regret writing this after the whole issue blows over and I'm back to my rational self. Consider this. To the religious community, or anyone who condemns "the sin" of homosexuality in UC's "Just Community": Go ahead and tell me that kid got what he deserved. I dare you. BY BRIAN REYNOLDS, MANAGING EDITOR UC NEWS RECORD
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