Never be bored again. Check out our jam-packed events calendar. It's been another bad winter for hate crimes, with a January attack on a gay student at Helena's Carroll College, followed by a February attack on a man outside a Billings bar frequented by homosexuals. In the wake of the Matthew Shepard debacle, it makes you wonder if the northern Rockies are particularly susceptible to intolerance. The only good news about hate crimes is that they allow people to respond, and last week citizens of Billings, Helena, Missoula, and Dillon participated in marches and vigils to express their support for the victims.
Hate crimes are individual acts.
The perpetrators certainly didn't witness the vigils, and probably didn't even hear about them. Sometimes I'm afraid that the value we place on individualism and machismo makes this area a haven for those who would turn their intolerance into violent acts. But sometimes I hope that the response will be enough. Get it off your chest at Streetmail's message board. Get 2 FREE airline tickets to exotic destinations or 2 FREE hotel nights stay at world class resorts.