Two Fine Days, and Travesty each

It was a great day to be alive.  Out and about for the afternoon, and party time on late into the evening.  But at midnight of this fine day, October 7, 1998 the life of an energetic, amiable, fun-loving young man was brutally snuffed out.  Under the guise of offering a helping hand, would be burglars picked up Matthew Shepard at a bar gave him a ride and, at some point brutally beat and killed him along the side of the road.  18 hours later a cyclist would find Mr. Shepard, propped up like "a scarecrow" along the side of a lonely highway in rural Wyoming.  During this trial witnesses stated that the young Mr. Shepard was targeted because of his sexual orientation.  A travesty. 

Not long ago in Margate, UK Dr. Richard Scott walked into work on a day that seemed like any other day.  He reviewed his calendar, saw a few appointments and then saw the patient that would represent the possible termination of his stellar, unblemished medical career as a general practice doctor and surgeon.  For on that day, another young man would walk into his Bethesda Clinic.  No small irony that the facility is named after the biblical pool where a man was healed by Jesus Christ.  For on this day, Dr. Scott would find that an attempt introduce a patient to that very same Jesus, would threaten his vocation, avocation and way of doing business.  A travesty.

So what do these cases have in common?  The law that was passed by our congress in response to Matthew Shepard's brutal injustice is House Bill 1592.  The Local Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007.  It is the US version a similar law in the UK and the persecution, and perhaps, prosecution of Dr. Scott will be the logical extension of our HB 1592 if it is not checked.  Advocates for 1592 indicate that the bill specifically provides for free speech, but as with a good economic policy (opinion alert!) there is a trickle down effect that will be powerful and, combined with Patriot Act authorizations could easily be construed and result in the same persecution in the US that Dr. Scott now faces in the United Kingdom.   

There is no justice for the death of a young man in the prime of his life.  None.  This law will not provide justice for his death.  This law will merely start the proverbially stone rolling down the hill of intolerance toward those who hold to what the government determines to be intolerable.  The case of Dr. Scott is only the first of many representing where government will take this law, unless we as a people use our power to check it's power.  If we don't, our power to speak against it will soon be gone.  A Travesty.