I don't believe that any violent crime is ever committed out of love for the victim. Matthew Shepard is just as dead as a straight man would have been if he had been beaten and left in the cold field. A rape survivor loses her sense of security and ability to go about her business without fear whether she is straight or lesbian. The robbery victim is left without his possessions regardless of his race, religion, or any other identifying characterstic. We already have laws on the books meant to bring justice upon perpetrators of violent crime, regardless of who the victim may be.
Loss still occurs, whether it is personal safety, possessions, or life itself.
Shepard's suffering should not be minimized because he was gay, but then a heterosexual crime victim's suffering should not be minimized because the violence did not fit the description of a hate crime. Our current laws should be enforced without prejudice and without special favors. No victim should see justice denied and no perpetrator should get preferred treatment due to life circumstances. All rights reserved.