"He had one more friend with him, he had God."

At the end of The Laramie Project, Dennis Shepard, Matthew Shepard's father, gave an emotional statement about the death of his son.  It is difficult to not only listen to, but even to read.  He reads this statement during the trail of Aaron McKinney, one of the accused.  In his statement, Dennis Shepard says, "I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney.  however, this is the time to begin the healing process.  To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy.  Mr. McKinney, I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew" (Kaufman.III 96).  Although Judy, Dennis, and Matthew Shepard all believed in the death penalty and despite a difficult decision, Aaron McKinney was granted life.  Dennis Shepard then says, "Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn't.  Every time you wake up in your prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night.  You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that.  Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives.  May you have a long life and may you thank Matthew every day for it" (Kaufman.III 96).  Aaron McKinney committed a crime that affected the lives of many not only in the town of Laramie or the state of Wyoming, but a crime that affected the whole world.  He was granted life in memory of Matthew.

"The last thing he saw on this earth was the sparkling lights" (Kaufman.III 99).

One of the most powerful words in the play The Laramie Project came from the statement of Dennis Shepard.  In his statement he talked about not just his son, but his hero.  Dennis Shepard says, "On October 12, 1998, my firstborn son and my hero lost.  On October 12, 1998, my firstborn son and my hero died, fifty days before his twenty-second birthday.  I keep wondering the same thing that I did when I first saw him in the hospital.  What would he have become?  How could he have changed his piece of the work to make it better?" (Kaufman.III 95).  Dennis and Judy Shepard did not just lose their son, they lost their hero.  The part of the book that stood out the most was when Dennis Shepard says, "You, Mr. McKinney, with your friend Mr. Henderson left him out there by himself , but he wasn't alone.  There was his lifelong friends with him, friends that he had grown up with.  You're probably wondering who these friends were.  First, he had the beautiful night sky and the same stars and moon that we used to see through a telescope.  Then he had the daylight and the sun to shine on him.  And through it all he was breathing in the scent of pine trees form the snowy range.  He heard the wind, the ever-present Wyoming wind, for the last time.  He had one more friend with him, he had God.  And I feel better knowing that he wasn't along" (Kaufman.III 95).  He was alone, yet not alone.  "He had God."

H-O-P-E

Hope is defined as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.  Despite the devastating tragedy of the murder of Matthew Shepard that defined the town of Laramie, it seems as if there was a sense of hope.  Throughout Act II and Act III of The Laramie Project, hope is prevalent among overbearing sadness.  Doc O'Conner said, "I'll tell you what, if they put those two boys to death, that would defeat everything Matt would be thinking about on them.  Because Matt would not want those two to die.  He'd want to leave them with hope.  H-O-P-E.  Just like the whole world hoped that Matt would survive.  The whole thing, you see, the whole thing, ropes around hope, H-O-P-E" (Kaufman.II 72).  It is crazy to think that within such an awful crime, that hope could come out of it.  During Matthew's funeral, Matthew's father, Dennis Shepard, said, "First he had the beautiful night sky and the same stars and the moon that we used to see through a telescope.  Then he had the daylight and the sun to shine on him.  And through it all he was breathing in the scent of pine trees from the snowy range.  He heard the wind, the ever present Wyoming wind, for the last time.  He had one more friend with him, he had God.  And I feel better knowing that wasn't alone" (Kaufman.III 95).  Almost unimaginable, it is amazing to realize that hope could come out of such a horrific crime.  There was hope in a time of darkness.

     

Once Defined By Beauty...

Laramine, Wyoming was a beautiful town full of good people.  Sergeant Hing says, "It's a good place to live.  Good people--lots of space" (Kaufman 6).  Throughout Act I of The Laramie Project, there are many references to the amazing place that Laramie is.  Although many outsiders did not understand the true beauty of Laramie, everyone there believed it was on of the most beautiful and best places to live on Earth.  However, after the hate crime against Matthew Shepard, things changed.  Jedadiah Schultz says, "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....A town with a personality that most larger cities are stripped of.  Now, after Matthew, I would say that Laramie is a town defined by an accident, a crime" (Kaufman 9).  It is crazy to think how much a town of beauty could be changed around so quickly.  What was once defined by beauty is now defined by accident and crime.  Jedidiah Schultz says, "We're a noun, a definition, a sign" (Kaufman 9).

What I imagine Laramie to look like before the crime...

http://vimeo.com/46322433

What I imagine Laramie to look like after the crime...

(The first 20 seconds of this video)