a [boy] was shot in the back of the head
Lawrence King. The name should mean something to you, but it probably doesn’t, thanks to mainstream media. King was an 8th grader shot and killed by his 14-year-old classmate because he said he liked him. Sounds extreme? It goes deeper. This is just another tragic example of how our outdated ideological views of gender and religion continue to degrade our society and quality of life. Keep reading.
The recent Washington Post article is one of the most powerful pieces of journalism I’ve ever read. It nearly brought me to tears in my office this week. What’s more is that mainstream media is facing a potential firestorm over its negligence in breaking this story. Indeed, the first ten pages of a simple “Lawrence King” Google Images search yields only one picture of King (used by gaywired.com) and perhaps a few scattered stories on the subject, including Current.com’s account of the event. From the Washington Post article:
“Says Joshua Porter Zeller, a 17-year-old junior at Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis: ‘If it wasn’t for the Internet, I wouldn’t have known about what happened to Larry. I have a religion class. In freshman year, the class was about church history. This year the first semester was on the New Testament, and right now the second semester is on morality. I asked my teacher if we’re going to talk about Larry’s shooting. He said no.’”
The National Day of Silence on April 25 will be observed by hundreds of thousands of school children across the country to protest the murder of Lawrence King. Meanwhile, Christian groups are protesting the National Day of Silence. What exactly is the Christian agenda? Why are Christians so concerned with “right” and “wrong” — to the point of telling others how to live their lives — to the point of perpetrating violence? What exactly is at stake? I was born and raised a Christian and I still don’t have a clue.
Why do so many Christians harbor such hatred, such fear? Would Christ sanction what Christianity has become? Is this latest war for “family values” just a guise for the next Inquisition?
Lawrence was teased at school because he wore lipstick and eye liner and high heel boots. Not something I would do, I must admit. It’s not in my nature. But does it threaten me that some men exhibit feminine traits? No. Am I controlled by society’s definition of what a “man” should be? Hardly.
Am I stricken with sadness when I hear that an 8th grader’s been shot in the back of the head by his classmate because he is “different”? Yes. Am I angered to the point of violence when I dwell on this? Yes. Do I know how to vent this anger? No. Am I wise enough to know that violence isn’t the answer? Yes. So, in the end, will I be more like Martin Luther King Jr. or more like Malcolm X? Not sure.
My friend Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, said this:
“This incident is another heartbreaking reminder of how often young people must endure intimidation or violence in school because of their sexual orientation or the way they express their gender identity.”
Judy Shepard, Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, said this:
“…This terrible incident underscores the fact that we cannot let hate go unchecked in our schools and communities. Our young people need our direction and guidance to prevent this type of crime from happening. I urge all parents and teachers to educate their children and students about acceptance, understanding and compassion.”
As responsible, civic-minded neighbors, teachers, parents, friends, we must ask ourselves who is responsible for this madness. Think long and hard. Because we have a lot of work to do.
[...] With a recent conservative groundswell of rants against “deviant” lifestyles and the murder of Lawrence King by his 14-year-old classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression, the Molecule [...]
As a father, I grieve for Lawrence’s family. As I write this, I had to close the door to my office for some privacy…the subject is personally moving. As a father, my sympathy goes out to my counterpart in California that must endure this loss caused by the tragic perpetuation of hate prevalent in our society. As a father, I feel a deep sense of anger toward anyone, individual or group, that keeps this hate alive and refuses to embrace a semblance of humanity and maturity in setting a better example for the next generation. I know how I would feel if my son were to follow a different sexual orientation than mine in his future and another entity, individual or group, decided that their rights included taking him away from us through such a violent end. All I can say is, if that ever happens, woe to whoever would choose such a path. I believe in God…in the same breath, I believe that in that situation, it would be God’s job to sort out the one or more that I’d be sending to Him.
God never intended for humanity to follow such a path of hatred and disrespect for life. My emotions wring like a wet rag knowing that there are individuals that truly believe they are in the right to fight such a movement. I, myself, am straight, and can no more understand the culture of the gay community, no more than they could truly understand straight culture. There is one common point that we need all understand, embrace, and teach…humanity depends on each other to survive, and with that comes the responsibility of striving to reach our potential and overcome the divisions that hold us back, that set us apart from each other.
As much as I have faith in God and His plan for all of humanity, I have to say that I don’t believe for one second that He condones this behavior, this disdain for our neighbors. For every good Christian that advocates love, respect, and the Golden Rule to those in their sphere of existence, there are 10 more behind thumping a worn Bible and helping to keep the hating spirit alive that is diametric to the values that God commands us to uphold.
I understand that in the course of my prose, I have contradicted myself here with my earlier statement, where I would express deliver anyone with the lack of intelligence and humanity to take our son away from us, if I ever find myself in the role of Lawrence’s father. However, I fully understand my limitations as a man and believe that my human nature would take over, not to mention the justification I’d likely feel in ensuring that the same wouldn’t be forced on anyone else.
[...] the fear of embracing diversity (no matter how different someone appears to be). The tragedy of Lawrence King is a clear illustration of how ignorance can easily lead to death. And the last thing we need is [...]
[...] a child who doesn’t have that edge? To the child who doesn’t have the benefit of the unconditional love that comes from most flesh-and-blood [...]
[...] shoots down the notion of “gay recruitment” and recognizes the non-masculine boy, or “sissy boy,” as a constant target. Simply put, Goldie blows “normative” thinking out of the water by immersing us in [...]