A Permanent Label

"Now, after Matthew, I would say that Laramie is a town defined by an accident, a crime. We've become Waco, We've become Jasper. We're a noun, a definition, a sign" (Kaufman 9).

It's easy to assume without knowing the whole tale,
And put a label on something from what you've heard.
But by doing this you're going to fail,
To see reality and the truth will be blurred.
So search for all of the facts, not just one or two,
Different perspectives will reveal the story.
They will come together to paint a picture for you,
Of truth that stands in all its glory.

Angel Wings

I chose this picture because it is conveying such a powerful message - that love can overcome hate. It was such a beautiful idea and symbol for these protestors to cover up other, hateful protesters at the trial. They are standing there silently while the protestors behind them are angrily yelling, again just showing that hateful people are angry people, and always will be until they learn to accept all people, no matter what their sexual orientation. This image is so powerful and really sums up all of the feelings surrounding the Matthew Shepard trial - those of hate and love, anger and healing - the list goes on and on. There will always be disagreements concerning gay rights, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the way to do it is not by using hateful words and protesting in inapropriate places. One must gain respect for themselves in order for their cause to be respected too.

Judy Shepard

I chose this video because it was different to many of the videos I watched on YouTube. It brought a new perspective on Matthew which I found interesting. His mother is speaking 10 years after the incident, and she speaks about how Matthew is just a regular guy, and it'd be wrong of her to make him "something that he was not". She does not want to turn him into a symbol because there are so many people out there that have experienced the same kind of hatred that Matthew experienced, and aren't getting the media attention that he received. She isn't glorifying him or creating a hero out of him or even talking about the tragedy of what happened, she's just speaking of her memories of Matthew, which I think is a refreshing way to look at something that was so terrible and had to be so hard for her.

Matthew Shepard Trial

This is a picture of Matthew Shepard's murderers, Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, awaiting testimony in court in 1998. I chose this picture because McKinney's glare strikes me so much. I find it terrifying, and almost hard to look at. While Henderson seems to be bowing his head in shame and regret, I feel that McKinney has this intense look of hate, with no sorrow for the horrbile crime he committed. His slouched posture in the picture also gives a feeling of disrespect to the situation, adding to the message of hatred conveyed by McKinney's look. It's such a powerful picture with such a strong message, which is why I chose this picture - the look sticks with you for a while after.

Matthew Shepard

Matthew Wayne Shepard was born in Casper, Wyoming on December 1st 1976, to Judy Peck and Dennis Shepard. He also had a younger brother named Logan who was born in 1981. During a high school trip to Morocco in 1995, Matthew was beaten and raped for being gay, causing him to deal with panic attacks and depression. Despite this setback, he continued on to go to college at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, studying political science which he was extremely interested in. In 1998, Shepard was brutally murdered by Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson for being gay. Matthew's short life ended on October 12th 1998 when he was taken off of life support at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.

A-sian

One positive stereotype that is common within American society is that all Asians are extremely intelligent and studious. Being thought of as being so smart can definitely be a nice compliment to hear as an asian person, however it can also put a lot of pressure on a person too. By creating this stereotype, society is making people of asian heritage feel that they must live up to this standard to be extremely smart and good at school. True, it is a part of asian culture that studying and doing well in school is very important, however it is just a small part of such a rich culture, and yet is the main thing that is remembered about it. All people have different things to offer society which is where stereotypes go wrong in creating a blanket statement about a group of people without recognizing individual traits. Is there such a thing as a positive stereotype?

Border Patrol

A negative stereotype that is really prominant in American society is that all Mexicans are illegal immigrants. This stereotype has even been perpetuated by the racial profiling that is now legal in Arizona that allows people of hispanic appearance to be pulled over and have their resident papers looked at. This stereotype is joked about a lot and is so sad because the majority of Mexican immigrants that live here have worked hard to be the best American they can be and deserve to be treated like the citizens that they are. This is not to say that border security isn't a big issue that needs to be kept under control, however we need to stop treating Mexican Americans in such an un-American fashion. They came to this country for the same reasons as all of our ancestors... for life and liberty and they deserve to have the same opportunities without the ridiculous discrimination that they receive from their own American people.