Hate Crimes

In a small town known as Laramie, Wyoming a kid was victimized by two boys the same age because of money issues and the stealing of drugs. It wasn't a typical day for 21 year old Matthew Shepard, the victim of the hate crime that happened the night of October 6, 1998. After reading the first few pages of Moisés Kaufman's book, The Laramie Project, it was surprising to see that after a tragic event that eventually killed Matthew had become major news making it an international news report around the world. Laramie wasn't known to be the small unknown town anymore but the town known to have hate crimes happen there. "If you would have asked me before, I would have told you Laramie is a beautiful town, secluded enough that you can have your own identity… Now, after Matthew, I would say that Laramie is a town defined by an accident, a crime. We've become Waco, we've become Jasper"(Kaufman 7). Laramie is a well known town because of the crime that happened and now Laramie has this reputation of a town that commits crimes. Everyone knew each other in Laramie and when Matthew first moved to Laramie he was shy and in the process of finding his identity until he met Romaine Peterson. They were very close before the incident happened. "I did hear from Matthew about forty-eight hours before his attack. And he told me that he had joined the gay and lesbian group on campus, and he said he was enjoying it, you know, he was getting ready for the Pride Week and whatnot"(Kaufman 18). Before Matthew's attack, he was living a life in which he enjoyed, having fun even though he was being made fun of his homosexuality. It has been said that Matthew Shepard wasn't tied up to a fence and brutally beaten because he was gay but because of money issues, stealing of drugs, and a disorder he had, but who knows the truth. Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, the murderers of Matthew Shepard both said that they have not remorse in the murder of Matthew. This world has become a crime scene whether it's a hate crime or another crime. People don't think twice about the hate crimes whether it's a murder or a beating that go on around them but instead just see it as a regular day to day thing.

       
  On June 7, 1998 an African-American known to be James Byrd was also murdered from a hate crime because of the color of his skin. When gotten offered a ride from three men to a church in Jasper, Texas, that James was suppose to attend that morning, they surely didn't take him there but instead to a remote road out of town. He was ultimately chained up behind a pick up truck by the ankles and was dragged the road for three miles leaving blood and body parts throughout the miles. "…His body gradually tearing into pieces before his head and right shoulder were severed from his torso by a roadside culvert"(The New York Times, Scott Veale). This punishment that occurred to James was brutal and horrific. The hate from the three men towards James was significantly cruel and had no reasoning behind the crime itself. The city of Jasper wanted to have some memorial that resembles James Byrd and his presence he brought to the city. What the town eventually did after the crime was build a memorial park after his name so people could remember him. This example shows the importance of James Byrd a how he made such an impact on not just the city of Jasper itself but all throughout the world. The main reason why Shawn Berry(Truck Driver), Lawrence Brewer, and John King killed James was because of his skin color. The remaining of James's body was thrown in front of an African-American cemetery. This reflected on people so much, they wanted to help and make a difference in the world. From the murder of James Byrd and Matthew Shepard this led to a hate crime law called the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Act.

The Life of Violence

Throughout the week of memoir presentations, the main theme that kept reoccurring was the life growing up around gangs, violence, and drugs. One of which memoir that stood out was My Bloody Life written by Reymundo Sanchez which tells a story about a young teenager himself becoming a member of a street gang, the Latin Kings, and growing up in a family with an abusive mother and step-father. "The asshole had take off his leather belt and hit me with so much force that the skin in the places where he struck me was either black and blue or gone altogether"(Sanchez 20). This quote describes the violence life that would happen on the daily basis for Reymundo and his family. All through Reymundo's childhood he dealt with a lot of violence which led him to do violent stuff himself. After realizing he didn't fit in with any of the kids and got kicked out by his mother he eventually found the Latin Kings, a gang that was known to be the worst violence street gang in Chicago. Hanging around those certain type of people, Reymundo learned that it was fine to fight or kill people and that's actually he did at the age of fourteen. After several years of having a home and calling the members family, Reymundo separated from the Latin Kings and instead getting a college education. Although Reymundo grew up in a rough and poor community, he wanted to change his life around and stop the violence in his life. The violence that   occurred in his past changed the way he looked at life. Despite his childhood of violence from his mother and step-father he knew that this wasn't what he wanted for himself. He knew it wasn't right and doesn't want to hurt people like he has once been. 

           The Pursuit of Happyness written by Chris Gardner was another memoir that was a depressing yet impressive story. Watching his step-father abuse his mother in his late childhood was very devastating and reflects his life every day. With raising his son, Christopher, in San Francisco he struggles finding a job and eventually becoming homeless throughout the year. "Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period" (Gardner). This quote is very strong because Chris is telling his readers that people can't give up on their dreams, they need to pursue them. Chris had a dream, even though he went through problems finding jobs, he believed in himself that he could accomplish what he needed to be accomplished. Christopher and Chris had a good relationship throughout the misery. When Chris was younger he didn't know his father until later in his life and doesn't want that to happen to his son. I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. I made up my mind that when I had children, my children were going to know who their father was"(Gardner). He knew his father had made a mistake in not building a relationship with his son and Chris learned that he didn't want that to happen with him and Christopher. The setting Chris had mentioned in the book about how he slept in a bathroom with his son was very meaningful because it was a time where he felt hopeless and discouraged in himself that he would live like this forever. Towards the end of the book Chris didn't give up on his dream and got a job that changed him and  Christopher's lives forever. Chris Gardner wants to teach of his readers that your dream will come if they patiently wait until the time is right. story  

Faith is the Key to Happiness

          Everyone has a time in their lives that devastation occurs. Sometimes ones' are worse than others but those who choose to write about their struggles in life express their feelings throughout their tragic adventure. The memoir A Stolen Life written by Jaycee Lee Dugard is a book where Jaycee was kidnapped at the age of eleven and was held captive for eighteen years, giving birth to two children. “We live in a world where we rarely speak out and when someone does, often nobody is there to listen"(Dugard). People who go through such mortifying events in their lives tend to carry faith and hope that they will get saved and believe that there is always going to be a positive outcome after the disastrous is over. This important quote really strikes me because if one just has faith in themselves it will have a better outcome than one who is hopeless. Another example in this horrific story is the strength that Jaycee had develop through her captivity. Some women in this world couldn't have gone through what she had gone through. Jaycee had to grow mental toughness and especially hope through this all because without those strategies she would have lost it and eventually would kill herself. As shown in the presentation a major symbol that remained throughout the book was a pinecone Jaycee had grabbed right before the kidnapper grabbed her. The pinecone to her reminds her that she is free because that was the last free thing she got ahold of before the torture begun. Today and days ahead Jaycee collects pinecones and represents a sign that she is a free woman.  

          Another book that really stood out to me was Two Kisses for Maddy written by Matthew Logelin. It all starts with a couple who gets pregnant and after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl, Matthew's wife, Liz, dies. Matthew struggles raising his daughter without having his wife around to help. "One kiss from me, and one from your mother. One for what could have been, and one for what will be"(Logelin). The quote and the title of the book itself relates to each other very well. As Matthew kisses to fingers and touches them  to Maddy's forehead it tells her that her mom, Liz is spiritually with her wherever she goes. From those two kisses Maddy should have gained hope everyday that her mother is not physically  but emotionally and mentally by her side whether it's joy or hardships occurring. Although some hardships seem a lifetime, the ending will overtake all the evil and bring out faith and happiness. A big theme in this book would probably be love and loss. Loss was and still is present in Maddy's life because of her mother dying and how every daughter needs a mother to set an example for, a mother that will be there for her daughter in times of trouble, to be a lifelong best friend, and even a person to turn to and talk to when they need to talk. It's safe to say that mothers are the ones that bring the family together. Love is the key to living an enjoyable life. Although Maddy never met her mother, never talked to her, she knows that she is loved and she loves her mother because of what she did for her.