Human Rights Essay

In the bible it says being a homosexual or transgender is a sin and therefore isn’t permitted into heaven. People make signs saying â€Å"GOD HATES FAGS†, â€Å"FAGS ARE WORTHY OF DEATH†, yet it also says in the bible god loves everyone, sinner or not. Our society has created this propaganda that homosexuals and transsexuals are horrible people and should be eliminated. This is biased. Now here’s a question. Have we ever stop and thought about how they feel about all this hatred and isolation towards them? They didn’t wake up one day and decided to be gay or dress like the opposite sex they are.In the year of 1998 a major hate crime case set in, the Matthew Shepard trial. Matthew Wayne Shepard, An openly gay American student at the University of Wyoming, was tortured and killed near Laramie, Wyoming on October 1998, only 21 years old. He was attacked on the night of October 6-7 and died five days later, October 12th. Matthew lived a life outside of the sexual norm of our society. As a result of this he was brutally murdered. This case commenced major public reaction all around the world and opened thousands of eyes.This case angered the homosexual societies. Most importantly battered Matthew’s family and changed their lives forever. Matthews’s journey began on December 1st, 1976. He was born to Judy and Dennis Shepard in Casper, Wyoming. Matthew’s father described him as an optimistic and excepting young man. Matthew could relate to almost everyone. He was very approachable, or easy to talk to, always was up for a new challenge, made friends easily, and he had a great passion for equality and always defended people’s differences.Throughout his life, he was always moving schools and traveling. With that being said his experiences fueled his love for traveling and gave him the chance to socialize where ever he went. Matthew had friends all around the world who loved and cared for him. He was a good ki d, didn’t bother anyone, was always friendly, and willing to give a helping hand. That all changed unfortunately while Matthew was on a high school trip in Morocco, he was raped. This caused him to have depression and panic attacks.When he came back from the trip his mother Judy Shepard took him back to Casper, Wyoming. Once back home he was required to take pills for his panic attacks. Matthew then went back to college, but didn’t stay in Casper for long. While in college he met Romaine Patterson and became really good friends with her. They both decide they would transfer to a different college in Laramie. Matthew struggled once he went to Laramie. He lived in the most dangerous part of town, where people didn’t accepted â€Å"gays† and his depression took over. Matthew started to do drugs.It took him a while to dig his way out of this hole he made himself but with the help of Romaine and his parents he made it. Went back to school again and became a fi rst year political science major at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie. One night on October 6 of 1998 he decided he would go to Laramie and get a drink, on his lonesome. He arrived at the fireside lounge. Sitting at the bar alone, just him and his beer, but he had a sudden urge to look over at the pool tables and notices two guys looking at him, quickly he looks away minding his own business.Again he makes eye contact with the two guys, Then goes walking off to the bathroom, as he’s walking away both guys mumble something to each other and follow Matthew. He’s washing his hands when both guys walk in. there’s no paper towels to dry his hands in and that’s when Russell Henderson give Matthew some paper towels and says that they are both gay as well. A sigh of relief for Matthew, They continue to speak and Matthew within a few sentences began to trust them, and eventually asked for a ride home.At the bar Aaron and Russell planned to only rob Shepard, bu t during the trial Aaron Mckinney said as they we’re driving Shepard home Shepard was rubbing his leg and grabbing his genital areas, thus Matthews actions, that is what supposedly caused Aaron to break out and beat Matthew. Mr. Mckinney says that he hit Matthew about 6 times on the head while they we’re driving not to his house but to a remote area. Then once arrived to this place Russell then tied Matthew to a fence, that is when Mr. Mckinney pistol whipped, punched, and kicked Matthew one to many times to the back of his head.Once the job was done, both men left the scene. Eighteen hours later Matthew still alive was found by Aaron Kreifels who mistook Matthew for a scarecrow. Matthew’s face was covered in blood; the only clear spots on his face were the tear drops going down his face. Matt hadn't actually been tied like a scarecrow: when he was approached first by the mountain biker, Aaron Kreifels, and then by Reggie Fluty, the sheriff's deputy who answered Kreifels's emergency call, Matt lay on his back, head propped against the fence, legs outstretched. His hands were lashed behind him and tied barely four inches off the ground to a fencepost.He was then taking to Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie, then to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. 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.Matt died at 12:53 A. M.  on October 12, 1998, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. Matthew was brutally murdered, and was given no second chance. No one heard his screams, his cries; no one was there to comfort him, he didn’t get to see his family or say good bye to loved ones, no one knew where he went or where he was going, he was gone and no one knew. Just like in Night by Elie Wiesel, no one heard his cries just like Matthew, although he had his father with him, he still felt alone; slowly his soul was beginning to die, just like Matthew slowly died those last five days in the hospital.No one deserves to die by being tortured, and treated as if they were nothing. The life and death of Matthew Shepard changed the way we talk about, and deal with, hate in America. Since his death, Matt’s legacy has challenged and inspired millions of individuals to erase hate in all its forms. Although Matt’s life was short, his story continues to have a great impact on young and old alike. His legacy lives on in thousands of people who actively fight to replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.