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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neil H who wrote (328748)	10/12/2009 4:13:15 PM
From: ManyMoose	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793868

Although I dont support this cause she is pushing, I understand what she is trying to do which is to make the loss of her son meaningful in her mind. I feel the same way. Those haters who killed Matthew are murderers and should be treated as such. I wish his mother could go after murderers instead of military readiness. Sarah Brady thought she could change the world after Jim Brady was shot along with Reagan. And her efforts turned into nothing less than an assault on the Bill of Rights. And that mother who lost her son in Iraq became a meddling activist. Grieving mothers and wives and others who have been egregiously hurt by reality can be understood, but if their efforts go askew, the world is not obligated to support them.

To: Neil H who wrote (328748)	10/12/2009 4:47:29 PM
From: unclewest	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793868

Hi Neil, I would never disparage a grieving parent.

To: Neil H who wrote (328748)	10/12/2009 5:25:05 PM
From: Brumar89	2 Recommendations Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 793868

What happened to her son is a tragedy, but it doesn't appear he was killed for being gay. Just an enraged meth-head picking an easy target. -------- ...Shepard's killers, in their first interview since their convictions, tell "20/20's" Elizabeth Vargas that money and drugs motivated their actions that night, not hatred of gays." ..... In the days leading up to the attack on Shepard, she said, McKinney was using methamphetamine every day. Bopp, who says he left Laramie and the drug world behind six years ago, told "20/20" that he and McKinney had been on a drug binge in the week leading up to the attack on Shepard. "Aaron and I had been awake for about a week or so prior to this whole thing happening," Bopp said. "We were on a hard-core bender that week." Bopp also admits that a week before the murder he was so desperate for methamphetamine, that he traded McKinney a .357-Magnum pistol in exchange for one gram of methamphetamine. McKinney would later use that weapon to beat Shepard. The Night of the Crime McKinney told Vargas he set out the night of Oct. 6, 1998, to rob a drug dealer of $10,000 worth of methamphetamine. But after several attempts, McKinney was not able to carry out his plan. Henderson said he thought if he could keep McKinney drinking, he'd forget the robbery plan. But according to McKinney, when he encountered Shepard at the Fireside Lounge, he saw an easy mark. McKinney told "20/20" Shepard was well-dressed and assumed he had a lot of cash. ............ When pressed by Vargas as to why he continued beating Shepard after he had already taken his wallet, McKinney said, "Sometimes when you have that kind of rage going through you, there's no stopping it. I've attacked my best friends coming off of meth binges." McKinney says he directed Henderson to drive the truck to a secluded spot on the outskirts of Laramie so they could leave Shepard and have time to get away. They stopped at a wooden buck fence and took Shepard from the truck. On McKinney's instructions, Henderson got a rope from the truck and tied Shepard to a fence post. Henderson claims at some point he tried, but failed, to stop McKinney from beating Shepard further. In a statement to the court, Henderson said McKinney struck him across the face with the gun when he tried to stop the continued beating of Shepard. ......... McKinney took Shepard's wallet and his shoes, got back in the truck and told Henderson to drive to town. He says his plan was to burglarize Shepard's apartment. But when they parked the truck they encountered two young men who police say were vandalizing cars. Hostile words led to a fight and for the second time that night, McKinney went on the attack. One of the men was struck so hard his skull was fractured. The injured man's friend retaliated, slamming McKinney in the head with a small bat. Everyone fled, just before a police car happened on the scene. ...... O'Connor says he never heard McKinney express any anti-gay attitudes. In his interview with Vargas, O'Connor reveals his belief that McKinney is bisexual. "I know of an instance where he had a three-way, two guys and one gal," he said. "Because he did it with me." O'Connor added, "I know he's bisexual. There ain't no doubt in my mind. He is bisexual." McKinney's former girlfriend Price says she now believes that as well. "He was always into trying to talk me into having a three-way with one of his guy friends," she said. ..... abcnews.go.com