Our Silent Dead

[mishalak]

In the year 1998 on the month of October's 12th day a young man did die in America because he was gay. In just the two years and eight months following that date his shade has greeted in silence, by my count, a score and ten more so murdered for slights similar to his own. In life they were gay, lesbian, transvestites, and even heterosexuals who were only thought to be otherwise by their ignominious attackers. They all sleep in peace now with a number no man knows who were also slain for the crime of being born under different stars and who's deaths were seen as something else.

They are secure in the tomb beyond all mankind's hands to help or hurt further. But still living in this world are far more than thrice the number who have died who have suffered a host of injuries at the hands of those who bore them hateful grudges. Forget not those who have died. Forget not those who have lived. Forget them not even as we remember one young man who's blood was spilt six years ago.

Comments

[evilfuzzymonste.livejournal.com]

Ooh, hey, it's you! I met you at Owl House. This is Tanith ... the teenager. I saw your comment on shadowpryde's entry about pervy fanfic addicts. :)

I like this Matthew Shepard entry. You manage to convey eloquently the more solemn, yet somehow inspirational message that he left to us.

I keep crying whenever I think about him.

~ Tanith

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I mostly wrote it because it seems like sometimes that only Matthew Shepard died. I went and looked up on the HRC website because I knew that he couldn't be the only one. There was another year and a half of records to look at but I couldn't do it and I wrote about what I knew. Besides 30 is a good number.

[evilfuzzymonste.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's how I feel, too ... I'm going to get in the habit of making memes for all the major GLBT sacrifices I can find. Maybe they'll all spread as quickly as this Matthew Shepard one. I don't know whether I'd like that or not. :P