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Internet Voters Give Reasons –Nomination Calls Issued 'Take a Moment to Vote & Maintain the Slain Youth's 2.5-1 Margin!' |
Compiled by GayToday
Matthew Shepard—as of yesterday —was America's leading choice for TIME Magazine's "Man of the Year, 1998." Those voting for him totaled 47%. His closest rival had garnered only 19% of the votes. An early voter on TIME's "Man of the Year" site explained his reasons for choosing Shepard : "In a country based upon the RIGHT to BE, it's a tragic commentary that a young man, a person who's barely had the CHANCE to experience BEING a man, should be crucified and left to die. And for what? Exercising, without MARCHING, CAMPAIGNING, PROTESTING, PAMPHLETING, EVANGELIZING, his right to BE. "The saddest part of all is that the people MOST opposed to his kind are generally RELIGIOUS folk who think nothing of the fact that they enjoy their right to BELIEVE under the same protection of law which granted Matthew the right to BE. I hope this MANs untimely death causes people to reassess their privilege of living in what's SUPPOSED to be the best country to BE in the world." Another TIME-reading voter agreed: "Mathew Shepard is the clear choice. His death made even those, who would like to change him cringe, for they knew that in some ways, they were just as guilty as the two little thugs who did the beating. By the way: Ken Star deserves it the LEAST!!!" A third said: "Woe to the spammers who apparently can't stand to see his name at the top." A fourth pressed forward with his point that Shepard's murder "exemplifies the homophobia that too many people have been forced to live with, and has brought gay bashing and hate crimes to the public's attention in a way that, at least as directed against Gay people, nothing else has. When we can make it a safe, productive world for ALL people, it becomes a safe, productive world for everyone. Let his death not be in vain." Remembering, perhaps, how in a 1966 editorial TIME had called homosexuality "a pernicious sickness" an optimistic voter hoped TIME will have "the wisdom and courage to help America remember the tragedy of Matthew Shepard. This would be a significant acknowledgement and could help us move another step forward along our often painful journey towards true humanity and peace." Matthew Shepard, it appears, has been the chosen by so many as "Man of the Year" not just because of the horror surrounding his murder, but because they believe that murder has awakened the nation and TIME's choice can help to keep it awake. There is clearly much hope abroad that TIME will choose "a person everyday people care about" instead of a political power broker. "The best thing TIME can do is to turn Matt's tragedy into hope." "Take a moment and vote!" pleaded Stonewall era activist Jim Fouratt. Related Stories in GayToday's Archives: Matthew Shepard/Hate Crimes Series Related Sites: Vote for Matthew Shepard: GayToday does not endorse related sites. |