Judy Shepard Responds To "Hoax" Comments

Judy Shepard appeared on last night's edition of the Rachel Maddow Show to discuss the recent expansion of Federal hate crimes legislation and the remarks made by North Carolina representative Virginia Foxx, who, in testifying against the expansion, suggested that Shepard was merely the victim of a robbery, and that suggestions that he was targeted because he was gay were all a part of "a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

Shepard responded thusly: "Well, you know, attacks of lesser consequence, I guess, have been said about Matt since the beginning, and in 2007 when it passed the House, the same sort of vitriol' was spoken from the floor as well. I did not ever expect it to be called a hoax. Anyone who has done research into what happened to Matt knows it was a hate crime, although technically we couldn't prosecute it that way because there was no hate crime law in Wyoming and no Federal hate crime law protecting sexual orientation. So we couldn't call it a hate crime, but it was."

Told that Foxx had later "clarified" her remarks by saying that "hoax was a poor choice of words," Shepard wasn't particularly mollified. "It's apologizing for semantics, not her ignorance."

On the matter of how the expansion may assist the victims of other hate crimes, Shepard offered some specifics: "How it will change in Matt's case in particular, in Wyoming, because the federal law did not cover sexual orientation as a protected category, Laramie was not eligible for Federal resources...they had to furlough four employees to pay for the investigation and subsequent trials. That's not right. That's not right...This is an amazing advance of what already exists."

Also worth noting is Maddow's excellent elocution of the rationale behind hate crimes legislation, which intentionally guard against miscarriages of justice, but are often interpreted as political correctness run amok:

MADDOW: The concept behind this kind of legislation is often misconstrued but here's the deal as I understand it. The idea is that the federal Justice Department can get involved in a case to help local authorities or even to take the lead on a case if need be, in prosecuting individual serious violet crimes and murders in which the victim was selected on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability - the idea that crimes like that are intended not only to hurt or murder an individual, but to terrorize an entire community, and so there is a national interest in ensuring that those crimes are solved and prosecuted, particularly if local law enforcement doesn't want to because they are blinkered by the same prejudice that led to the crime in the first place.

[WATCH.]

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Comments

[Dimitra Ekmektsis]

Yup! At least censored. Anyway, any other state that has this legislation??

[TotoToo]

Many in Rep. Foxx's district may be delighted at what she said, but civilized society was horrified.

This woman should be brought up before the Ethics Committee and at the very least censured.

[elr50]

If we censured all congressmen who said horrific things, there would be no Republicans left in the government. HMMM-not a bad idea.

[FantasticFourFan]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the republicans want what happened to Mathew Sheppard to happen to all gays. That's the real reason they are denying it was a hate crime.

[megalanzero]

Yes, because as a Log Cabin Republican, I know I want that to happen.
My only problem with determining hate crimes is that there is almost no way of establishing individual intent, so a person could be accused of a hate crime when there was in fact none. Granted, a person should not be committing a crime, but unless the person explicitly says it's because of the person's race, gender, creed, etc., there is too large of a chance of prosecuting the innocent for an aspect of the crime that they did not commit.

[compassionnreason]

How can a gay woman be a Republican, considering they do not accept gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people as their equal; it is like the mormon church accepting black people into the congregation but not into their heaven. It was also clear in Sheppard's case that they targeted him because he was gay and beat him because they wanted him to die. You should be ashamed of yourself and your own self-worth issues. I witness gay people being attacked at work, school, and in their homes because they are gay. Read/watch your local news. Remember, there is a storm coming and it is gay people invading a straight world. What more proof do you need?

[billygore2000]

You don't sound as though you've convinced yourself of your own narrowly construed, legal-minded argument.

[dwright]

I guess it is hard to tell if you have a group of red neck guys hanging around outside a gay bar waiting for an individual to come out alone as a truly random choice. No, they went hunting for a gay man or person. I am sorry that you can't see your Party for what it truly is, and it is far beyond my comprehension why any person especially a gay individual would think they are republican. I can't even see a coherent platform. Except tax cuts for the wealthy.

[tierone]

Why do you lie and tell people you are something you are not?

Shame on you.

Oh, wait a minute, being a Republican, there already is shame on you.

Hate crimes are fairly easy to determine. You wanna know why? Because the perpetrators generally DO say why they are doing it.

You do know that the guys who attacked Shephard admitted to luring him and beating him because he was gay?

Whoever told you otherwise lied to you.

[Tommygun264]

So do you consider Premeditated Murder a thought crime?

[azbird]

to Mr Fantastic. what a dispicable thing to say. In the first place you dont know ALL republicans. In the second place I dont believe you dont know that. You are just spewing hate. ACtually thank you. you just proved my point that I said in my comment before.

[ibivi]

The nerve of Foxx to make these comments and inflict pain on the mother. She's as bad as Coulter who says that she hates the way the 9/11 widows parade their status as victims. Where do these hateful, cruel and totally unsympathetic women come from?

[elr50]

They come from the Republican party , conservative narrow minded religions, and Fox "News".

[BalancedEgg]

I guess the real "hoax" must be the one being played on the people of North Carolina. They thought they were electing a person with integrity. Surprise!

[deacon220]

"violet crime"? you mean like lavendar crime?

[AmericanWarrior]

God will not allow republicans in heaven. They would cause chaos, trying to boot everybody out for not being as pure as them.
Jesus would not condone republicans because they torture their fellow man.
How can you make it your life to protect UNBORN humans, but start wars, build prisons, suppress rights of others, prejudge based on race and oppress poor countries like Cuba, while they build up other nations that can attack us later, like China.
How can you be an advocate for saving unborn humans, when you condone and accept torture or murder of living, breathing humans?
Jesus never talked about the consequences of abortion. He did a lot of talking about loving your neighbor.
Hear that christian conservatives? When judgement Day come, you will be the ones asking, "Why has thou forsaken me?" And he will reply, "I know you not."

[OswegoKayaker]

Great post. So true all of it. Virginia Foxx is a Catholic -- they are the same ones who go preach in Africa against abortion AND contraceptives and don't give a care about the AIDS epidemic there -- use of condoms would go far there in stopping the spread of this horrible disease. But they care more about sperm than they do the ravages of this dreadful disease.

[rsprags]

You have the start of a great book in your post. Those of us who have a true revelation of Christ and his teachings must start to speak up and not allow these conservative repurg Christians to invade our lives and spread their hate over the US any longer.

[HDR]

Equally offensive to me is when someone offends in person but "apologizes" cowardly behind an issued statement.

[jrfunkenstein]

Foxx's statements and her lame ass apology only serve to reinforce the idea that Conservatives are hate filled regressive intolerants who cannot stand ANYONE that isn't a relfection of themselves.

How people like this are elected to public office in this day and age is shameful.

[paisleyface]

For Foxx and other Neanderthal conservatives of her ilk, I suggest "Dueling Banjos" as a swan song.

[kamachanda]

"apologizing for semantics, not her ignorance"

No one apologizes for their ignorance, they'd have to realize they are ignorant first and that's a tough step. Virginia Foxx was just making what she thought were the appropriate noises one makes when one is called out.

[Ascoli]

Judy Shepard my heart goes out to you on the cruel fate of your son.

[Galvanized Democrat]

To Lifelong Democrat: You do realize that Christ was a socialist and (dare I say it?) a communist.

[TruthmongerII]

Christianity is stupid

Communism is good

Give up!

[Garioch]

I doubt if you could define either catagory in any rational or logical manner.

[The Albany Kid]

Ditto!

[mouselion]

Ideas - stop being too attached to them.

[cheflette]

I thought we were going to take the high road now and not call other people stupid for what they believe or ram other beliefs down their throats. I'm not even Christian and your comments make me cringe. Shame on you.

[PA Blue]

If you can define either at all, then maybe we'll listen. Or not.

[dashboard]

Life.long Demo.cratz, and CJ.337 are some p-aid kid tro//s . Keep flagging them until HP blocks them.

[PA Blue]

Or just report their accounts as abusive.

[PaceSetter]

done

[GrandGuignol]

Lazy trolls at that. One must be leafing through a thesaurus while the other cuts and pastes. If their goal was to help the DNC raise money, it worked. I gave them a donation. I encourage others to do the same and let them know Virginia Foxx and her stalwart supporters sent you.

http://www.democrats.org/

[PaceSetter]

The religious-right groups have been waging a campaign to portray the Hate Crimes bill as part of a mythical persecution of Christians. Although hate-crimes laws expand penalties for violent crimes causing bodily injury or death (as well as attempts through firearms and explosives), the Religious Right is labeling them “thought crimes” laws the “only effect” of which “is to gag people of faith.”.
They argue, tooth and nail that they "love the sinner but hate the sin." but if it can be shown that their speech caused physical harm, they fear a curtailment of their enjoyment of preaching hate.

If Foxx apologizes, she will be admitting that Mathew Shepard was killed for being gay. The thread will be that much closer to being traced back to the intolerance shouted from their pulpits every Sunday.

[GrandGuignol]

Republicans just don't want people interfering with their right to h a t e.

Foxx was almost beat in a primary in 2004 because she accepted a small donation from a gay rights group. Her constituency are are the type whose family trees look like pencils if you know what I mean. She is a woman who has no qualms about disrespecting the memory of a murdrd son in front of his mother in order score cheap political points. These are the people that Palin called "real" Americans. There is a reason why more Americans think Captain Crunch is real than will admit to being a republican.

[Openyermind]

The insane thing is the religious right people are the kings of being the thought police.

[nik101]

I have heard Matthew Shepard's mother speak on several talk shows over the years. I can not imagine where she finds the strength to do all that she has, with such grace and conviction. Her love for Matthew lives on with her and the changes she has brought to the forefront honors Matthew everyday. It was a hate crime. Maybe her love for Matthew will spill over onto others. Hoax, unbelievable stupidity.