Thomas Foley: “on the front page of virtually every newspaper in America yesterday, I saw a story that sickened me when I read it and…”

“on the front page of virtually every newspaper in America yesterday, I saw a story that sickened me when I read it and should shock every Member of this body. Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was described by a family member as an incredibly caring person with a big heart, mind and soul, was lured Tuesday night from campus by two young men, driven a mile outside of town, bludgeoned with a blunt instrument and tied to a fence like a dead animal. Close to death, with his head battered and burn marks on his body, he was discovered 12 hours later by two passing cyclists who at first said they mistook his unconscious body for a scarecrow. Today, as we deliberate here, young Matthew Shepard is lying in a coma, clinging to life. Why was this young man singled out for such a barbaric act of violence? According to all accounts, he was attacked simply because he was gay. This is the latest in a series of brutally violent crimes committed against people for no other reason than the color of their skin, their sexual orientation or their religion.”