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Not since Matthew Shepard was crucified on a fence in Wyoming has there been such a brutal hate crime as the recent one in Puerto Rico. Young, handsome and vibrant Steven Lopez Mercado was vicious killed, decapitated, dismembered, set afire and left like garbage along a road. He was only 19 years old and from family reports was one of the most kind, thoughtful and humorous teenagers around. Sunday, thousands around the country held vigils in his memory determined that this not just be one more horrific hate crime chalked up on some cold statistic chart.
Anyone who has been following the news, especially on the blogs, realizes that hate crimes around the world are dramatically increasing and they appear to be more brutal in nature. Beaten victims have been maimed and scarred both emotionally and physically for life. Families have been forced to cope with loved ones whose bodies have to be reassembled in order to bury them. No place seems immune from this increasing epidemic including previous safe havens like New York or San Francisco.
Our Transgender brothers and sisters have taken the brunt of these crimes but all the letters in LGBT have experienced the horror.
As established institutions such as the Catholic and Morman churches have escalated their rhetoric and actions in order to stop civil marriage equality, their words have fallen on disturbed minds. When careless words are thrown around in order to prove a personal religious viewpoint, they have consequences. There is no question in my mind as the right wing, joined by various religious institutions, have increased their anger toward the LGBT community the increase in these in brutal hate crimes is a resultant by-product.
Of course they will throw up their hands and proclaim loudly that their spiteful words had no impact on the increase in particularly brutal hate crimes. After all, they love the sinner but hate the sin. Gandhi said that we have to measure our words as much as our actions. They seeking to divide this nation over marriage equality words are having an impact and giving permission for disturbed individuals to perpetuate these crimes.
Equally disturbing is the lack of outrage from the straight community. Where is the Conference of Catholic Bishops condemning the death of this young teenager in Puerto Rico? Where are the Cardinals and Bishops as more and more young die horrible deaths because of hate? Where are the Mormans at the vigils in honor of young Mercado? Where are they? Where is their leadership? After all, if they have no responsibility for the deaths, then they certainly have the responsibility to speak out against such outrages.
Just in case those religious leaders who are forceful in their words against marriage equality didn't know, silence equals death and more death and more death.
[The preceding article was written by longtime LGBT Activist David Mixner on his website- Live From Hell's Kitchen. Interestingly enough, it isn't just religious leaders that are maintaining a silence. There are members of the LGBT community as well. Oddly, I wonder just how high the body count has to be before people are outraged enough to break their silence.]
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