Playing The Victim

As usual, a politician talks out of his or her ass. Then they claim that they were misunderstood or their words were taken out of context. They claim they're getting death threats. And they try to play the VICTIM!!

NC rep calls gay student slaying case a 'hoax'

RALEIGH, N.C. – A North Carolina congresswoman said Thursday she chose her words poorly when she called claims that a Wyoming college student was murdered because he was gay a "hoax."

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx said during debate in the House that Matthew Shepard's 1998 death wasn't a hate crime and shouldn't be invoked by supporters of a bill to expand the definition of such crimes to include violence motivated by sexual orientation.

"We know that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay," Foxx said during debate. "The bill was named for him, the hate-crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

Shepard died several days after he was found tied to a remote fence in Wyoming, severely beaten and robbed of $20. Prosecutors said he was lured from a bar by two men, including one whose defense attorney said reacted violently after Shepard made a sexual advance.

The House approved the bill Wednesday despite Foxx's comments. On Thursday, after Foxx drew heated reaction from several gay rights groups and others upset by her comments, she said her words didn't convey what she meant to say.

"The term 'hoax' was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate crimes bill," Foxx said in a statement. "Mr. Shepard's death was nothing less than a tragedy, and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received."

Still, it wasn't enough to quell the firestorm.

"I haven't ever heard anyone say before that Matthew Shepard's death wasn't a hate crime," said Becky Dansky, federal legislative director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

She said her organization was surprised by the comments and noted the House version of the bill doesn't even reference Shepard's case. The Senate bill carries Shepard's name.

Foxx spokesman Aaron Groen said the congresswoman relied on articles that she later realized were faulty and especially regrets upsetting the Shepard family. He said she declined further comment.

"Calls to her office have been mostly from outside North Carolina," Groen said. "We've gotten our share of death threats and the like but that's to be expected on such an emotional issue."

The University of Wyoming student's slaying became a rallying point for the gay rights movement.

The two men who killed him are serving life in prison. Prosecutors' cases included evidence with elements of robbery, drugs and hatred against gays. The court found the men guilty of murder, but did not determine their motivation.

Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said Foxx's comments might help encourage discussions favorable to equality.

"She should know better," Giuliano said Thursday. "Her research is a little shoddy. The good thing is it has exposed yet another very anti-equality, anti-gay elected official at a time when public opinion is moving more and more toward equality."

I just love how her mouthpiece claims that she's getting death threats now. Really? Because gay rights supporters and hate crimes legislation supporters have absolutely nothing better to do than threaten to kill some dumb bitch from North Carolina who has absolutely no fucking clue what the hell she's talking about. Right? RIGHT!!

That's what gay people do right? They believe that they have a right to be treated equally and when they don't get their way they threaten to kill someone? Sure Mr. Groen!! Portray your boss as a victim!! That's what you all do best!! You know that she's full of shit and when called on it, you make her look like the victim in all of this.

Foxx claims that Matthew's death as a result of a hate crime is just a hoax. She claims that he wasn't killed because he was gay. And she knows that because????? Was she there when the crime took place? Did she personally speak to the killers and determine that he died simply because a robbery "went bad", and not because he was gay?

No, she didn't!! She shot her mouth off about something that she knows nothing about and too ignorant and bigoted to educate herself about.

Matthew Shepard died because he was gay, and two bigoted assholes decided that he wasn't worthy of living!! Matthew Shepard's name deserves to be on this bill, and it deserves to be passed. He died for no other reason!!

It's because of people who think like Ms. Foxx that hate crimes legislation is necessary in this country. If people like Ms. Foxx would get their heads out of their asses and their asses out of their Bibles, maybe there would be fewer cases like Matthew's!!

Maybe the next "Matthew" won't have to die because he or she is gay. But if they are murdered, their families will get justice because of a little something called the Matthew Shepard Act!!