I don’t care if Lawrence was a homosexual asking a fellow classmate to be his Valentine, this boy was 15 years old. We should be living in a world where people love one another despite the differences between the many groups of people congregating in the same areas of establishment.
As a bisexual who supports human rights for all citizens, I condemn this heinous act as much as I condemn the murders of Brandon Teena, James Byrd Jr., and Matthew Shepard.
Mr. King did not fully understand, at that age, what might happen to those who reveal their attractions to members of the same sex. So the crime was senseless in nature. And the fact that the shooting happened at a middle school only makes things worse. After all, the lives of other students were in danger. What happened in California last month is something I compare with what happened in Colorado ten years before.
Senseless. Uncalled for. Brutal.
No child, no adult, nobody should ever be subjected to prejudice, whether it’s their race, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. Hate is like “shit.” Hate is like “fuck.” Hate is like another four-letter word out there that doesn’t need to be uttered, let alone be exercised.
This murder is just one more reason why the Matthew Shepard Act must be put into federal law.
Hate crimes are inexcusable.
May Lawrence King rest in peace along with the angels.
Peace and bisexual love for all!
Kudos,
Lady Bug
Oh, it was wrong? Oh, okay. Hadn’t realized it wasn’t okay to kill someone for flirting with you.
Seriously, though - yes, it’s very sad, but why should the actions of a single lunatic be allowed to drive national (or even state) policy? It’s also a senseless and tragic thing when someone is shot for a pair of tennis shoes - but efforts to get rid of inner-city poverty and violence are usually pretty quiet until election time.
(No, I am not excusing or condoning what the other kid did. It’s wrong to shoot someone, period, and murder is not an acceptable way to end an unwanted flirtation. The problem was not that the shooter didn’t like gays - the problem is that he thought killing was the solution.)
Brian Mc was being sexually harrassed by Lawrence NOT flirted with. Brian told Lawrence to leave him alone over and over and over and Lawrence would not leave Brian alone. Lawrence was agressive with people who did not want his attention. He chased kids who wanted to be left alone and got in people’s faces. He would not back off when asked and then told to leave me alone! Both children were failed by the adults in the school system. Both children were harrassed. Everyone loses in this one.