h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It was on the evening of Sunday, February 6, outside the Rainbow Planet Café in Tucson, Arizona, that a University of Arizona student was stabbed in the back, thankfully causing only "minor" damage. One week later, on February 13, Tucson's gay community -- and at least a few straight supporters of the cause, like myself -- were out marching to protest the event. You see, the stabbing victim, who wishes to remain nameless, was a gay man, and the stabbing was a hate crime. The criminal, who had quite obviously intended murder, is being held on the charge of agrivated assault (assault with a deadly weapon), and not attempted murder.
"Jesus hates faggots" the stabber said as he jammed a large knife into the back of a young man who was peacefully sipping coffee at his favorite hang out. I don't know what all of you believe about Jesus, but there are certain undisputed facts: He lived. He was crusified by the Romans. He preached love and forgiveness, not hatred.
Hate is a blind monster, and it doesn't stop in Arizona, or in America, or the Western World. A gay Russian man is being held by immigration services in America after fleeing his home country because of bigotry. He is trying to reach Canada where some of his family lives. Where he hopes he can live in peace.
Perhaps this is the wrong forum to discuss serious issues like this. But my blood boils when I hear people commiting blind acts of hate and rage. It gets even hotter when they do it in the name of God. If you're reading this, and you've read this far, chances are you aren't a biggot (biggots all quit reading in the first paragraph). So I'm preaching to the converted, so to speak. It's not enough to agree that people shouldn't be stabbed, however. It shouldn't be enough for me to go and march with thos who's lives are directly affected. I've never felt for one instant the fear that they must feel every day, fear they've learned to live with, fear they're no longer controled by. I need to do something more. Everybody needs to do something more. This time, let's not lead a bloody crusade. Let's not mar the message of peace with violent outrage. Let's tolerate and love, and show the world that these are the tools that we change society with. Thank you.

Peace,
William R Soland,
AKA Irving Washington

Haunting your journal again...
As a Christian myself, people saying things like that appals (sp) and saddens me. I'm very glad that the world has people like you to remind the rest of us not to sit back and watch.
Joanna

It's easy to remind people. The hard part is actually practicing what I preach! The really touching thing about that march was that several local churches turned out to give their support, as well.

~Irving

Thats good to hear. Practicing what you preach is always hard... I try with lack-of-success to avoid preaching, but sometimes you have to.

Yes, I know what you mean.

~Irving

It is imho not the wrong forum. We all have our laughs here on the guide, but we are also here to inform our world. This is an atrocious act and it is all too common. We can only hope that justice will be served.

marv

Thanks, Marv. Have you met the new researcher, Tony? I recently mentioned this journal entry in one of my posts to him, and I was wondering if that's how you got here?

~Irving

In fact it is how I got here. But all jokes aside, I find it apalling that this sort of incident is so common. In some places hate crimes are not reported as they should be because of the local social stigma. The murder in Wyoming is only one shuch event. I would have hoped ten years ago that this behaivour would be very rare now. Alas it is not to be.

It's because of the us and them mentality that so many people fall into. It makes me ashamed of my race, my gender, my sexual orientation, and even of my religion, all of which place me as part of the establishment. I honestly still believe that everyone can live together in harmony, but then, I'm an idealistic young student.

~Irving

Without idealistic people there is no hope for harmony. Because if no one believes, there can be no hope.
I aim to be like an idealistic student all my life.

Joanna

Thank's, Joanna, at least I may be an idealistic student, but at least I'm not the *only* idealistic student!

~Irving

I'm only 13, but I'm also idealistic,and these crimes of hate also appal me. Who cares about another man's sexual orientation enough to wantto kill him overit? Only a real sicko, that's for sure.

Yes. A real sicko. Funny, isn't that the word so many homophobics use for gay men?

~Irving

What sounds worse to you: homosexual or biased murderer bigot prejudiced homophobe? The second doesn't sound very nice, that's for sure.

Let's not get into name calling. It's tough, I know, but if everyone just shouted names at eachother you wouldn't be able to tell the intelligent ones from the biased murderer bigot prejudiced homophobes, now would you?

OK, I won't name call . But I will say a pretty bad symbol of what our society has come to is the fact that the word 'gay' has become an insult. It's pretty bad to see eight-year-olds calling each other 'gay' on the playground and not thinking a thing of it .

The second definately, don't ask me what dragged me here, I must be just in one of those seriuos moods right now. But I agree with a statement made by Irv in the very first posting. Anyone who got past the first paragraph is not going to be biggotted.

I play a team sport and there is always banter in the changing rooms and sometimes that banter is about somebodies sexual orientation. Now I have been with my team mates when this joking has gone on, and on occassions wished that they knew what I knew at times. All the homosexual bashing goes on, but one time I saw three guys in the room who unbeknown to my sporting buddies were being ridiculed as they spoke. Now the three in question are not "out" to the world I guess that is an added problem here in Northern Ireland. It's bad enough being label Prodestant or Catholic without having the added label of gay on top of it all. Propably especially in a mens changing room, or when you spend most of your time on a Saturday socialising with your teammates.

But to actually stab someone who is not a direct threat to you is bigoted, shortsighted evilness. A gay man is not going to turn around a rape every straight guy they know. They know who's straight and if a genuine mistake is made providing they were freinds before they will remain so, if they aren't bigotted. So what was this murderers quarrel, that someone with a different sexual orientation was enjoying life and a coffee. EXCUSE ME, what's the crime? Nothing. It's a sad world we live in.

A couple of years back a bomb was planted outside a gay bar in London's Soho. It killed three people. One straight man, the (female) fiancee of a badly injured friend and one gay friend. Lesson, even targeting gay establishments, people (with anti-gay feelings) cannot be ceertain that they will destroy what they set out to destroy, they may really ruin people who are more open and tolerant than they are. So why bother?

End of rant.

Yes, what exactly is up with the thought that all gays are perverts?

Who knows? Perhaps it's a defence mechanism -- many people condemn things that they don't understand (look what happened to Jesus). I think of things that have happened in the past, and I can't believe that human beings won't learn their lesson, but they don't and I just pray that some day we all do.

~Irving

Gay (supposedly, now I come to post this I'm not sure) originally being an acronym for "good as you". And "gay" people are as good, as you, or anyone else. So's everyone. Protestant, catholic, gay, straight, black, white... its important to keep this in sight, I suppose, and while at least some of us do there's hope for everyone.