News-Record.com

What? Was there a teasing comb found at the crime scene?

yet another pathetically ignorant attempt at crude humor.

I think Ms. Foxx's point was there are already laws on the books that deal with murder. The murderer of a homosexual deserves no more or less punishment than any other.

"How in the world can anyone do what those men did to another human, just because he wasn’t like them?"

Ms. Latham, I think that the answer to your question was found in your question.

Molene -
Your question brings to mind the two gay guys who assulted a female - one held her down while the other fixed her hair.

"The murderer of a homosexual deserves no more or less punishment than any other."

Or black, white, Catholic, straight, bisexual, Mormon, or Duke fan.

Murder is murder and should be treated by existing laws as such.

What is the difference...say...between a black rapist killing four white cops in CA versus some deranged idiots killing gay guy in WY? You would think nothing, because either way people are dead. There was a difference however, in the CA case there were protesters honoring the murderer. Go figure.

First degree murder is first degree murder. Assigning "hate" status makes those who belong or sympathize with specific groups somehow feel more important and relevant in life.

What's next...'Gay on Board' bumper stickers?

"I think Ms. Foxx's point was there are already laws on the books that deal with murder."

Then why didn't she say that? Instead of disputing the motive for the murder after whom the bill is named, why doesn't she address the legislation itself? I'll even concede that the discussion about the necessity of hate crime legislation is a valid debate, and some of the points raised here give me cause to reflect on my previous opinion.

But this letter is not about the need for hate crime legislation. And Mrs. Foxx's comment about the motive for this murder really had nothing to do with this tangent about hate crimes. Her comments were deliberate, irresponsible, and even reprehensible. Period.

"How can anyone possibly believe he wasn’t killed because he was gay?"

Ummm..perhaps because they looked at the facts instead of just listening to the left wing media's lies about it?

I certainly agree with you, Ms. Latham. Such a brutal, cruel murder based on hatred. Society must put an end to these tragedies.

"I certainly agree with you, Ms. Latham. Such a brutal, cruel murder based on hatred."

Good grief. What murder isn't based on hate?

Howie G, where ya been man? Still abroad? Welcome back!!

NO ONE, NO ONE, except the ones who committed the murder can say for sure the motive for Shepard's murder. Foxx is only going by what 20/20 and others reported. Why wasn't there as much uproar against ABC for this report. Because they are part of the liberal media and liberals do not go against their own. But when a Republican repeats what a liberal news source reports, they are hung for it. Libs are such hypocrites.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=27547

"According to one person who viewed a rough cut of the "20/20" episode, the report raises the possibility that Shepard was targeted for his money, not over his homosexuality, according to the New York Post.

ABC News promises "surprising revelations, including [an] underground world of methamphetamine use that may have contributed to the crime and whether or not Shepard knew his killers."

ABC News defends its investigation. "Exploring and re-examining the facts around that murder in a very thoughtful and in-depth way is the very essence of responsible journalism. This new information in no way diminishes the importance of the national conversation that took place after Matthew Shepard's murder," says spokesman Jeffrey Schneider. "The murder of Matthew Shepard was and is a heinous and vicious crime." "

Why haven't conservatives complained in the past about this legislation ... which has been on the books for years and includes protection for categories like religious belief and race?

Only when attempts to expand it to include sexual orientation are they now upset.

Shouldn't Representative Foxx not only have tried to stop this expansion but called for a repeal of the hate crimes law in its entirety?

Dan,

Yes, we're home. Thanks for asking and for the warm welcome. It's good to be back in the US.

Beachwalker,
I read the transcript of the ABC story, and from my (probably biased) point of view, one couldn't definitively conculde whether the motive was hatred of gays or "merely" a drug-fueled robbery. A lot of the conclusions were based on the jailhouse revelations of the convicted murderer, who, within the same story, was proven to still be lying about that night.

So at the very least, the certainty with which Rep. Foxx spoke is vastly overstated. At worst, she is taking a flimsy premise to create a brush fire, to divert attention from the issue. As I said, if her issue is hate crime legislation, then she should tackle it head on. To call attention to the Matthew Shepard case is like me opposing a toxic waste dump on my street because it's named after Jesse Helms, not because it's going to pollute my drinking water.

Howie G said:
I read the transcript of the ABC story, and from my (probably biased) point of view, one couldn't definitively conculde whether the motive was hatred of gays or "merely" a drug-fueled robbery.

My point (and the point I think Foxx was making) exactly. There are already laws to deal with what happened to Shepard. Why is it nessecary for the goverment to get involved with writing new laws to cover something that may or may not have happened?

"Only when attempts to expand it to include sexual orientation are they now upset."

Wrongo AJ, most conservatives including myself have disdain for this whole notion of hate crimes in the first place. It makes no sense.

If someone kills me, a white guy, why should it be more serious if they kill my next door neighbor, a black guy? Or my nephew, a gay guy?

What about a black person who hates white people and thus kills a white person because of that hatred? Is that a hate crime?

Murder comes in different forms such as first & second degree, manslaughter, etc. and there are appropriate punishments. If someone commits first degree murder they should be put away according to the law (preferably for life imo) regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.

The whole notion of hate crimes is simply another ridiculous product of our PC society, nothing more.

Hate crimes legislation seeks to make super victims. Nothing more. Given free rein, the liberals would classify everyone as a protected class except adult white hetrosexual republican males.

Prove it Dan.

Show me evidence where conservatives pressured their party to eliminate the existing hate crimes law. Republicans had 8 years to accomplish this. Everytime they blocked passage of expanding it why didn't they go ahead and eliminate it completely?

"Show me evidence where conservatives pressured their party to eliminate the existing hate crimes law."

Yeah right, who would touch that with a 10 ft. pole?

Imagine the NY Times front page March 2007:

Eeeevvvvvviiiiiillllll Republicans eliminate "Hate Crimes Laws".

Subtitle: "Republicans support murder of minorities."

Once a law is law it's difficult to change, especially if it contradicts political correctness or entitlements. Ain't gonna happen.

A thought worth keeping in mind :
For every law passed, you lose a little freedom.

Beachwalker,

I appreciate your opinion on hate crime legislation. But if Rep. Foxx was trying to make that point, then she disguised it very well. There is lots of discussion here about hate crimes legislation. But that's irrelevant to the central point of the letter. Mrs Foxx was not addressing the relevance of hate crime legislation. She was criticizing the naming of the bill. Period. Your (and others') speculation about her lareger motive does not address the central point of the letter, nor the point I've repeated several times.