Anticipating a fun night out, Matthew Shepard went to a bar and had a couple drinks. Little did Shepard know that within the next several hours he would be beaten with a pistol, hung on a fence, and waiting to die. Matthew Shepard was a twenty two year old gay man and because of his sexuality was brutally murdered. A rally in Wisconsin was held for Shepard's family, friends, and others morning his death, but it was also held to help ease the pressures of living in fear of this life style decision. Conversely, preaching "from the prayer book of hate," Reverend Ralph Ovadal of Wisconsin Christians United feels that Shepard's actions "violate[ed] the laws of nature's god" and that the fate that was handed to him was appropriate. .
Dr. Barnett Slepian came home from a memorial service for his recently deceased father and was taking pleasure in the company of his wife and son, when he got shot through his kitchen window. Dr. Slepian was an abortion provider and was killed because of what he did for a living. Members supporting the "pro-life" cause were enlightened that a "baby killer" was put to rest and out of business, but it did not affect them in any manner that the killing of "baby killers" would be considered a heinous crime as well. Reverend Donald Spitz, founder of Pro-Life Virginia, gave praise to the killer of Dr. Slepian and went as far as to call him "a hero." "" We as Christians have a responsibility to protect the innocent from being murdered. Whoever shot the shot protected the children,"" stated Spitz. .
The extent of these hate crimes are overwhelming. Within the past twenty years there have been several murders, attempted murders, bombings and arsons, death threats and bomb threats, and several acts of vandalism, intimidation, stalking, and burglary concerning gays and lesbians and abortion clinics. These are all acts of terrorism "that do not belong in our democracy." Nevertheless, everyone that opposes homosexuals and abortion clinics are not so intense.
