On 26/08/11 10:31, 1506 wrote:
The guy was badly beaten. And, IMHO, no-one should die like that.
There were no clues as to motive. However, the young fellow in
question happened to be homosexual. The case became a rallying point
for campaigners against hate crimes. Homosexuals for hundreds of
miles around demanded hate crime legislation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

But, why, I ask was the guys horrible death worse because he was
homosexual? Would you or I not have felt the blows just as much?

His experience was no worse than yours or mine might have been. But the
fact that he was tortured to death for being gay /additionally/
threatened other gay people and it's for that /additional/ effect that
/additional/ punishment is merited.

Or at least, that's the theory. Seems OK to me.

Ian