I'm a mom, and I have a story to tell. And that's all I can do. Matt was my constant reminder of how good life can be, and ultimately how hurtful. There is a hole in my existence, but I know Matt would be very disappointed in me if I gave up now. Most crimes are not about hate.
Hate crimes are terrorism, meant to send fear and intimidation to that group.
Laws against them shouldn't be PC propaganda, but attempts to stop that terrorism. Regardless of what you think about hate-crimes laws, Judy Shepard makes a compelling case that we need to change the atmosphere about treatment of people who are different. We need hate-crimes laws because they acknowledge that relationship and send an important message about tolerance, she said. In Atlanta, we don't have to look far. Three years ago, a bomb exploded at a lesbian bar on Piedmont Road.