Reilly Gilliland
Pd.1
12/1/17
The Laramie Project Synthesis Essay
The murder of Matthew Shepard is one that continues to puzzle America, almost 20 years later. With conflicting accounts of what happened that night, and with controversial views of what caused this murder, people struggle to this day over who to believe. With this story being one of the first of its kind to make national news, the stakes were high. The Laramie Project shows how complicated stories are, and how biased people can be, as well as the media. Understanding how a human could commit such an awful act is effected strongly by personal prejudice, media, and other influences. The honesty of the story will only be known by those that committed it, but understanding and accepting other peoples truths of the story plays a big role in how this murder will be seen, and how it will stay as a landmark case.
Throughout The Laramie Project, he differentiating view points and thought processes of the residents are shown. The town doesn’t seem to be very accepting of gay people, except for the small few who are okay with it. Laramie is the typical small country town. Most of the residents have grown up there their whole lives. “What you have is, you have your old-time traditional-type ranchers, they’ve been here forever”(Sergeant Hing, Act 1, pg 487 ) Like mentioned above, Laramie is the typical small country town. Its a town for farmers and ranchers. The key part in this quote is “old-time traditional type”. This is what Laramie is as a whole. It isn’t seen as the most accepting town on earth, because to its residents, it isn't. “If you would have asked me before, I would have told you Laramie is a beautiful town, secluded enough that you can have your own identity…A town with a strong sense of community – everyone knows everyone.”(Jedadiah Schultz, Act 1, pg 489) Understanding the people in the town is one of the largest parts of this story, because it does end up shaping how information is reported, the stories that are told, and the evidence that is shared. Even 10 years later, after the facts of this horrific murder came out, residents still think Laramie hasn’t changed. “I think the people who were outraged by Matthew Shepard’s murder are still outraged. I think that hardcore Wyoming faction who said: “That little faggot got what he deserved,” they’re still right here and they’re teaching their children the same thing”(Zackie Salmon, Pg. 8). When looking into this case, a lot of the information that is found has to be taken with a grain of salt. It is up to the reader to decided what this murder was. What are the truths? The biases? How has this story changed? How does the evidence support the story? How does society effect this case? These are all topics to be considered when reading up on this case.
Though this case is controversial in quite a few ways, the main debate is wether or not this was a hate crime, or a meth induced crime. It seemed pretty well known that Matthew Shepard was well known in the drug rings of Laramie. "He said 'Everywhere I move, it seems like I get sucked into the drug scene,” (2004, 20/20, La Brie). This quote is by one of Shepard's close college friends, Tina LaBrie. Later on, more of Shepard's friends came up, saying they were involved with the drug scene as well. Aaron McKinney was also well known in the drug scene. His close friend, Ryan Bopp, told ABC news that “Aaron and I had been awake for about a week or so prior to this whole thing happening. We were on a hard-core bender that week.” (2004, 20/20, Ryan Bopp). Drugs seem to be a big role in the lives of Shepard and McKinney, sparking the point that this was a drug induced crime. Yet, according to McKinney himself, Shepard reached over and grabbed his thigh, to where McKinney started beating him with a pistol, which sparks the debate that this was a hate crime, even though McKinney later states it had nothing to do with the fact Shepard was gay. “A lot of the media is portraying Matthew Shepard as a saint. And making him as a martyr. And I don’t think he was. I don’t think he was that pure. Now, I didn’t know him, but…theres just so many things about him that I found out that I just, its scary. You know about his character and spreading AIDS and a few other things, you know, being the kind of person that he was,” (Sherry Johnson). While many people have said they were anti-gay, this quote felt like it represented the majority of the population. They are biased without really knowing it.
So was this crime a hate crime or meth induced? What actually happened that night? Its all up to the interpretation of the reader, and what they take as fact and fiction. According to ABC, Shepard’s friends contacted 20/20. “They were calling the County Attorney’s office, they were calling the media, and indicating Matthew Shepard is gay and we don’t want the fact that he is gay to go unnoticed.” (2004, 20/20, Prosector Rerucha) Was this being a hate crime only spread because of his friends? Or did McKinney deliberately set out to rob and murder Shepard because he was gay? McKinney’s ex girlfriend, Kristen Price, says “I don’t think it was a hate crime at all. I never did” (2004, 20/20, Kristen Price). McKinney himself said “No. I did not….I would say it wasn’t a hate crime. All I wanted to do was beat him up and rob him” (2004, 20/20, Aaron McKinney). Was this a case of a hate crime or just a robbery gone wrong?
A case like this comes down to the power of perspective. There is plenty of evidence supporting a hate crime, but there is also evidence supporting the fact it may just be meth induced. Personal bias from the media and residents of Laramie determine how this case is shown to the world. Nobody will know the true story except for those directly involved. With a case as complex as this, the reader has to determine the truths in the reports, but also be able to find the faults and bias of every article/book/show if it exists. It is not about understanding the crime, but being informed about it, and educating others on something as serious as this.
Works Cited
“20/20.” The Matthew Shepard Case, abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1. “Aaron and I had been awake for about a week or so prior to this whole thing happening. We were on a hard-core bender that week.”
“20/20.” The Matthew Shepard Murder, abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1. “I don’t think it was a hate crime at all. I never did”
“20/20.” The Matthew Shepard Murder, abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1. “No. I did not….I would say it wasn’t a hate crime. All I wanted to do was beat him up and rob him”
“20/20.” The Matthew Shepard Murder, abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1. “They were calling the County Attorney’s office, they were calling the media, and indicating Matthew Shepard is gay and we don’t want the fact that he is gay to go unnoticed.”
“ABC 20/20.” The Matthew Shepard Case. "He said 'Everywhere I move, it seems like I get sucked into the drug scene,”
Kaufman, Moises. “Act 1.” The Laramie Project, W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2016, pp. 487–487. http://www.napavalley.edu/people/LYanover/Documents/English%20123/English%20123%20Moises%20Kaufman%20The%20Laramie%20Project.pdf
Kaufman, Moises. “Act 1.” The Laramie Project, W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2016, pp. 489–489. http://www.napavalley.edu/people/LYanover/Documents/English%20123/English%20123%20Moises%20Kaufman%20The%20Laramie%20Project.pdf
Kaufman, Moises. “Act 2.” The Laramie Project, W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2016, pp. 515–515. http://www.napavalley.edu/people/LYanover/Documents/English%20123/English%20123%20Moises%20Kaufman%20The%20Laramie%20Project.pdf
Kaufman, Moisés. “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.” The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2009, pp. 8–8, www.aaronbooth.info/uploads/7/5/6/9/7569212/laramie10_final-1-1.pdf.