Today is the 10th Anniversary of the death of Matthew Sheppard. Matthew Sheppard represents one of many staggering statistics of homophobic attacks, violence across the world. Sheppard was a student in the University of Wyoming when he was attacked by Russell Arthur Henderson and Aaron James McKinney. He died on the 12th October 1998, suffering from severe head injuries.
I have latterly come to know of the story of Sheppard (I was only 14 at the time) it is important to bring this to people’s attention. To forget is to ignore the fact that hate crime is not acceptable . Homophobia is not acceptable. It affects real people at real points in time. If we cannot stop it, then we must not forget. To forget is the worse crime.
“Remember me is all I ask And if to remember be a task: Forget me”
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RIP Matthew
Matthew’s killers didn’t really know him at all. What they saw in their rage was a reflection of their own thoughts. Just like what happened to Jesus.