Melissa Etheridge - Precious Pain

Matthew Wayne Shepard a light in the world
The Death Of Matthew Shepherd
The murder of a college student named Matthew Shepherd would become one of the most famous examples of a hate crime in recent history. On October 6, 1998, Aaron McKinney and Russell A. Henderson entered a Laramie Wyoming bar which was known as a place where homosexuals often hung out. The two men left the bar with the company of Matthew Shepherd, who they drove to an open field. After being tied to a fence and beaten within an inch of his life, he was left for dead in the near freezing temperatures. The two men had also stolen his wallet and shoes. Eighteen hours later, he was found by two passing motorcyclists who thought at first that Shepherd was a scarecrow because of the way he was positioned on the fence. Shepherd was flown via helicopter to Poudre Valley Hospital (approximately a ninety mile drive in Fort Collins, Colorado) where he remained in critical condition for several days.

Twenty-two year old political science student Matthew Shepherd devoted his life, his friends say, to the fight for human rights. He was a relatively small guy, and it was reported later that he had been beaten up on two previous occasions because he was gay. The more severe of the other two attacks had left his jaw broken the year before.

Matthew had spend many of his growing up years traveling the world - mainly because of his father's job as an oil rig safety inspector. After graduating high school, Matthew settled in the area between Denver, Colorado (where he worked as a waiter and in retail stores) and Laramie, Wyoming where he went to school. He chose Laramie because that was where his father had gone.

Three days later, four arrests were made in connection with the murder of Matthew Shepherd. This included Aaron McKinney, Russell Henderson and Chastity Pasley (who lived with Henderson) and Kristin Price - the later two arrested as accessories because they helped the two men dispose of the bloody clothes and helped cover up their crime.

Police Commander Dave O'Malley stated that he believed that robbery was part of the motive since Shepherd's wallet had been stolen, but said that Shepherd was most likely chosen because he was gay. He told a reporter from the associated press that they had a few such hate crimes in Laramie, "But nothing anywhere near this."

With Matthew Shepherd still in a coma at Poudre Valley Hospital, the political hoopla started full force. Gay Rights groups everywhere started calling attention to the fact that the Matthew Shepherd case demonstrated a need to adopt hate crime legislation - anti-gay groups started fighting this because they believed this meant gays would have some sort of special rights. It may be interesting to note that several days prior to Shepherd's beating, several anti-gay groups had begun public campaigns in the Colorado and Wyoming areas. This was also several days before National Coming Out Day - a day devoted to lending support for those who wish to come out of the closet as gay or lesbian.

At 12:53 a.m., on Monday, October 12, 1998, Matthew Shepherd died as a result of his injuries with his family by his side

Category:

Music

Tags:

• melissa
• etheridge
• precious
• pain
• matthew
• wayne
• shepard
• gay
• hate
• memory

[ShalomSpirit]

Lovely memorial to a beautiful Soul who visited this plane for such a short time ...

[terigower]

@ShalomSpirit

unforgiveable hate that happened to end a most beautiful life....

[johnnie11364]

Ill never get why people hate...we are all on the same journey, the same quest...to be something more then just ourselves...to make a difference...

[terigower]

@johnnie11364

being gay myself is only a small part of my being no more an important issue than if someone is right or left handed.....yet to make a mark in life that distuinguishes you from others..simply by being love  is the only gift that belongs to our humanity.

[hotrodbod1]

Beautiful, Absolutely beautiful...reading your discription of Mathew Sheppard and hearing the song brought tears to my eyes! Thank you!

[terigower]

@hotrodbod1

i think most of us are brought to tears over this hatred of another beautiful human being

who is Gay and hated for that orientation..

[chitchant]

Melissa's ballad Scarecrow on the breakdown album records the horror of the killing of Matthew Shepherd. That such hate crimes still occur brings shame to us all.

My thoughts and hopes are for a safe life for gay and lesbian people everywhere.

[terigower]

@kuffkuff

have been proud to be gay all my life.. you talk without any real understanding... god is pure love

not wrath my soul and my lovers is safe in gods enduring love...please keep my tribute here sacred to a young man tortured by hate crime...god bless...mary

[tolgreen]

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[mdcscc1]

Speak's to my soul



[Lola3907]

@kuffkuff You have been brain washed by people trying to control you..... I can tell you,Right Now... GOD DOES NOT CARE if someone is Gay,Bi,Lesbian,Transgender,etc­... ALL that GOD care's about is that someone is a Nice person,whom care's,and that you don't Deliberately harm anyone,unless in self protection or yourself,or another person,animal.And that someone does/ try's their best in their life.... Nothing else Really matter's,it Really doesn't !

[misspegske]

Hai, Terigower. I love this song and i'm sad about what happend to Matthew but this song is not written for him ore about this sad event. Becouse this song is written in 1988 and Matthew's murder was in 1998.... Have a nice day :D