Dear RN list, Dec. 13 I was curious to find out who the person coming in first on the _Time_ magazine "man of the Year" contest is. Turns out Matthew Shepard is someone I think most people on the RN list will be interested in knowing about. I am sure I am not alone in valuing homosexual and bisexual people and culture. I know that homophobia is dangerous not just to homosexuals, but to society as a whole. Hopefully this petition will help make this world safer for people of all sexual orientations. all the best, Jan ***************************************************************************** Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 11:47:33 -0500 From: Bruna Nota <•••@••.•••> Subject: anti-hate petition >Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 10:19:19 -0500 > >You have been identified as someone who cares. >----------------------------------------------- >On October 6, outside Laramie, Wyoming, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old >University of Wyoming student, was tortured, beaten, and left tied to a pole >in the freezing cold. Six days later, he died of his wounds in Poudre Valley >Hospital, Fort Collins, Colorado. Matthew was murdered because he was gay >and because he was a prominent and charismatic member of the gay and lesbian >student group on campus. Right now Wyoming and Colorado have no anti-hate >crime laws; the state legislature in Wyoming has voted down anti-bias bills >for each of the past three years. > > There is an effort in Wyoming and Colorado to enact Matthew Shepard >Laws, which would strongly punish the perpetrators of hate crimes. This petition demands the broadening of federal anti-hate crime law. > >Opening Statement: > >"As a religious voice, we state strongly that violence on the >basis of sexual orientation, race or gender is wrong, is evil, is >reprehensible." -John Buehren, President of The Unitarian >Universalist Association, speaks for Unitarian Universalists but his words >are reflected in the hearts of people everywhere who believe we must speak out, >take action against, and condemn hate crimes in all their ugly forms. > >A resolution follows: > >WHEREAS: We affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every >person; and > >WHEREAS: We commend the efforts of those individuals who >dedicate their lives to causes of social justice and human rights; and > >WHEREAS: We support actions that protect the individual's rights of life, >liberty and pursuit of happiness. > >THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That we hereby urge the passage of The Hate Crimes >Prevention Act (HCPA), H.R.3081 and S.1529 (The Hate Crimes Prevention Act >(HCPA), H.R.3081 and S.1529, would amend current federal law (which permits federal prosecution of a hate crime only if the crime was motivated by bias based on religion, national origin, or color) to include real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, and disability so the FBI would be able to investigate and prosecute violent hate crimes against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. > >Under this bill, hate crimes that cause death or bodily injury >because of prejudice can be investigated federally, regardless of whether >the victim was exercising a federally protected right. > >The only way that our representatives can be aware of the base of support >for this change to the current law is by making our voices heard. > >Please add your name to this petition and forward it to friends >who believe in what it stands for. The petition will then be >forwarded to the President of The United States; the Vice President of the >United States; and our United States Senators and House Members. > >Petition Management: 1. This petition is being passed around the Internet. >Please add your name to it so that we can have tougher laws against all hate >crimes. Please keep the petition rolling. Do not reply to me. Please sign >and forward to others to sign. This is being forwarded to several people at once to add their names. It will not matter if many people >receive the same list as the names are being managed. > >2. If you print out this petition for circulation and signing >please email the listing of names with locations to the email address: >•••@••.••• (an email address created to receive this petition) >Include a note to indicate you have a hand-signed petition and include the number of names listed. > >3. If you happen to be the 100th, 150th, 200th, 250th, this >petition, please forward a copy to the email address: •••@••.••• > >4. If you sign, please pass it on to others. If not, please do >not kill it. Send it on to the email address: •••@••.••• > >Thank You >Leslie Palmer > >I can not stay silent, my outrage and compassion will not allow. >------------------------------------------- >Note: It is preferable that you Select the entirety of this >letter and then COPY it into a new outgoing message, add your name to the >bottom of the list, then send it on. Or if option is available, do a SEND >AGAIN > >Sign Here: > >1) Leslie Palmer, Jacksonville, FL >2) Stephen Silverman, South Burlington, VT >3) Wayne Arnason >4) Theo Diamond, Charlottesville, Va >5) Sasha Kopf, Northampton, MA / Princeton, NJ >6) Geoffrey B. Metz, Tufts Univ., Medford, MA >7) Emily Sporl, Tufts University, Medford, MA >8.) Tai Collins, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >9.) Danielle Lazarin, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >10.) Priscilla Morales, Yale University, New Haven, CT >11.) Lydia Pace, Yale University, New Haven, CT >12.) Julia Goren, Williams College, Williamstown, MA >13.) Jamie Waxman, Columbia University >14.) Rebecca Zimmerman, Columbia University, NY >15.) Ariel Meyerstein, Columbia University, NY >16.) Naomi Richman, Goucher College, MD >17.) Aaron Finkel, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO >18.) Sally Noedel, Truman State Univ., Kirksville, MO >19.) Kim Cook, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >20.) Molly Mitchell, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >21.) Jeremy Schwab, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >22.) Aaron Manheim, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >23.) Rebecca pronsky, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH >24.) Rebecca Milburn, Wesleyan Univ., Middletown, CT >25.) Christene DeJong, Wesleyan Univ., Middletown, CT >26.) Lisa Lapman, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA >27.) Julia Sussner, Wellesley College, MA >28.) Adrian Dellecker, Trinity College, CT >29.) Sarah Mullen, Trinity College, CT >30.) Phu Thai, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI >31.) Leigh Phillips, Wheaton College, Norton, MA >32.) Matthew Small, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH >33.) June Bumanglag, Hilo Hawaii >34.) Vera Goo, San Francisco, CA >35.) Jeanne M. Joe, Los Angeles, CA >36.) Jacey Erwin, Los Angeles, CA >37) Jenna Sheinfeld, NJ >38) Stephanie Berkowitz, Washington, DC >39) Cindy Kane, Bridgewater, MA >40.) Pamela Brewer, Easton, PA >41.) Chuck Simpson, SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY >42.) Darcy DeTienne, Pocatello, ID >43.) Valerie Wetzel, Corvallis, OR >44.) Michelle Howell, Rapid City, SD >45.) Gayle Spencer, Manhattan, KS >46.) Darrell Claiborne, East Providence, RI >47.) Jennifer Carter-Battaglino, Ann Arbor, MI >48) Susan G. S. McGee, Saline, MI >49) Karen L. March, Saline, MI >50) Jean Bernard, Strathroy, ON, Canada >51) Ian Russell >52) Bruna Nota - ON, Canada 53) Jan Slakov - NS, Canada bruna nota "if you want peace, live peace and prepare for peace"
