2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial
Hatred or love?
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Nine years ago in a small college community similar to Arcata, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student, was tortured and left to die in the harsh autumn climate of Wyoming. The two men who attacked him admitted in court that they did so out of self-righteousness because he was gay.
Five years to the day on the anniversary of Shepard's death, President George W. Bush felt it was his duty to institute Marriage Protection Week, a time designed to nationally identify marriage as a strict union between a man and woman. Whether this timing was due to insidious motives or downright ignorance is only for the president to answer. Whether you admit it or not, discrimination and persecution are still, sadly, commonplace in our society.
Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day, which celebrates the marginalized Queer community and take a step towards ending violence and hatred towards them. This takes place during President Bush's "Marriage Protection Week." So, as in all things in life, you are given a choice: if you identify as one who is straight, will you look upon a member of the Queer community and chastise or cherish them?
It is the stance of The Lumberjack newspaper that the rights of the Queer community should be defended and their freedoms expressed. More than that, their community should be celebrated for their beauty and supported through their battles. Even today, the Matthew Shepard Act would extend hate-crime law to include victims based on their actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. President Bush voiced that if this act reached his desk, he would veto it. The battle wages on. Will you take a stance of hatred or one of love?
Five years to the day on the anniversary of Shepard's death, President George W. Bush felt it was his duty to institute Marriage Protection Week, a time designed to nationally identify marriage as a strict union between a man and woman. Whether this timing was due to insidious motives or downright ignorance is only for the president to answer. Whether you admit it or not, discrimination and persecution are still, sadly, commonplace in our society.
Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day, which celebrates the marginalized Queer community and take a step towards ending violence and hatred towards them. This takes place during President Bush's "Marriage Protection Week." So, as in all things in life, you are given a choice: if you identify as one who is straight, will you look upon a member of the Queer community and chastise or cherish them?
It is the stance of The Lumberjack newspaper that the rights of the Queer community should be defended and their freedoms expressed. More than that, their community should be celebrated for their beauty and supported through their battles. Even today, the Matthew Shepard Act would extend hate-crime law to include victims based on their actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. President Bush voiced that if this act reached his desk, he would veto it. The battle wages on. Will you take a stance of hatred or one of love?
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
noelle
posted 10/12/07 @ 9:31 AM PST
love!!
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