THE MURDER OF a Gay teen Lawrence King IN OXNARD CA

I grew up In Ca. Murder in Oxnard is something I am familiar with. In fact I have known 2 people from that area that were murdered. One happened on March 6, 1979. The other was September of 1986. Both were young both were NICE people. One was killed at work the other was killed in her own home. This is the Oxnard that I know.

I graduated from high school in 1985. I was a fat scared gay boy. I was sad & alone. I felt so isolated. I herd things for gay teens have changed now. Even though I did not come out until I was 29 I herd things were better now. Great. Maybe now the new generations of "Gay-Americans" will not have to turn to booze of pills to get through the day. Well as the saying goes "The more things change, the more they stay the same".

Crimes against gay people got a huge spotlight when 20 year old Matthew Shepard was beaten and left dead in Laramie , WY. He later died! The murder of Lawrence King is just another story to most people but to GAY AMERICANS is a very frighting story we hear about all to often.

This was less than 10 years ago when "Matthew Shepard" was killed! Nothing seems to be changing. The fact that in the city of Oxnard the adults seem to hate gay people. Did you know that in a high school a teacher had to withdraw the book "The Color Purple" from a reading assignment! What got the parent so enraged was not that the book deals with child rape, attempted rape, & incest that was not there problem They were mad because the book had "Gay Content". I can not believe however these parents ever read the book. They must of only saw movie. I grew up in Oxnard!

When Matthew Shepard was killed there were protest all over the country! I thought things were changing! I personally marched. This was my fight! In fact _____ & I marched in 2 of them. Well here it is almost 10 years later and another gay teen is killed because he is gay and made a pass at a "straight boy". How sad someone would rather kill him then to kiss him!

I have to give Lawrence credit for "being honest" with himself and living his life his way. Was he hurting anyone? "Hell No". However being so young he did not know that being gay in AMERICA is not safe! His death only underlines the fact. In America its a fact that being gay your 2ND class citizen.

In America people are getting into public office by trying to make sure that gay citizens we do not get equal rights. How sad if you think about it that people are getting voted into office because they are for keeping rights away from United States Citizens.

Lawrence King did not understand that this hate factor was all around him. He did not see that people want to harm us . He was a victim of a hate crime his death will not be the last one. This country seems to breed ignorance and intolerance! Listen to any rap album. The artist seem to use to word nigger and fag to describe all men and women.

Everyone in the UNITED STATES has to wake up to the fact that hate crimes are more then just stupid white men in white robes lynching African Americans. That is only one type of hate crime. There are others. Jewish people are still victims. Black churches still seamed to get burned and of course a gay man in this country still has to watch how he acts in public, because god forbid he holds his boyfriends hand in the wrong part of town, or make a pass at the wrong guy!

Yes this is the America we live in. AS long as we vote in people like GW its not going to get better. America needs to stop and be accountable for its actions. We are a nation of bully's. WE think are shit doesn't stink. We go into other country's and force democracies. Wake up! This country has a hate problem. I know this because I live in Mississippi. Its the "White Trash" capital of the south. I hear the word "Nigger" dropped everyday. I also here the word "fag" dropped just as often. The United States should be ashamed of the fact that we are the prime example of ignorance and intolerance.

Its funny we preach to the other side of the world about being inclusive but in this country there is millions of people who if they had it thier way would outlaw abortions (what happen to free will) they will not vote for a black man in the white house, or let there gay citizens to get married. This country is the capital of ignorance, & intolerance! In order for things to change we all have say "enough with the hate". No matter who you are when someone says something negative challenge them to stop. Even if that means your preacher, teacher, or spouse, or children.