Shepard's skull was crushed to the brain stem. He died four days later on Oct. 12, which was also National Coming Out Day. Laramie police cited robbery as the primary motive, but many are calling the attack a hate crime. The incident has fueled the fight to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would make it a federal offense to cause death or bodily harm because of prejudice. Missouri is not one of them.
Hate crimes happen.
It's not just gay people. Many groups, minorities of every race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation are at risk - closemindedness puts everyone in danger. Representatives from Prism and LAP handed out white ribbons Wednesday in remembrance of Shepard. It's nice to know that God is crying, too.