Read at Matthew Shepards Funeral MATTHEW SHEPPARD I HAD INTENDED TO SEND WORDS OF HOPE, OF FAITH AND PERHAPS OF LEGACY. BUT I CAN'T. IT IS TOO SOON. MY HEART ACHES WITH THIS ONE. THIS ACT OF PURE AND CELEBRATED HATE MAKES ME FEEL NOTHING BUT ASHAMED, ASHAMED OF HUMANITY. THE BRUTAL MURDER OF MATTHEW SHEPPARD SPEAKS TO MANY THINGS. IT SPEAKS TO PARENTS WHO BOTH CASUALLY AND VEHEMENTLY FILL THEIR CHILDREN WITH A SENSE OF "THE DIFFERENT", "THE OTHER" AND WITH A SENSE OF "THE HATED". IN YOUR FIERCE QUEST TO FEEL SECURE, TO FEEL "PART OF A GROUP" , TO FEEL LIKE AN "US", "THE BETTER," YOU INSTILL IN YOUR KIDS A HATE AND VIOLENCE THAT THESE CHILDRENS SOULS WERE NEVER MEANT FOR. I BEG YOU...HEAR WHAT YOU SAY, WATCH WHAT YOU DO, AND PLEASE INSTILL LOVE AND TOLERANCE. THIS MURDER ALSO SPEAKS TO THOSE RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE GROUPS AND POLITICAL LEADERS WHO CLAIM TO CHERISH LIFE AND GOD WHILE PERPETRATING FEAR, LIES AND ANGER TOWARDS GAYS AND LESBIANS. THESE ARE THE VERY SAME ONES WHO TURN THEIR BACKS ON HATE INSPIRED MURDERS AND TURN THEIR BACKS ON AIDS AND THEN STAND UP AND SHOUT ABOUT THE LORD, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE GIFT OF LIFE. AND I BEG TO YOU...INSTILL GODS DESIRE...LOVE AND TOLERANCE. TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, MAY OUR GUT WRENCHING TEARS GUIDE YOU TO A VERDICT THAT MIRRORS THIS UNBELIEVABLE CRIME. TO MATTHEWS' PARENTS: AS THE MOTHER OF A TWO YEAR OLD, MY HEART ACHES WITH YOU. I AM SORRY. I AM SORRY. I PLEDGE TO YOU TO DOUBLE MY COMMITMENT IN THE NAME OF MATTHEW AND I PLEDGE TO YOU THAT MY TEARS WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE HEARTLESS, SOULLESS HATE IS WIPED OUT FOREVER. TO MATTHEW: WE HAVE ALL SENT SUCH A FORCE OF HEALING SPIRIT TO YOU. AS YOU RISE UP, I PRAY YOU FEEL IT. GOD BLESS YOU. WE LOVE YOU. KATHY NAJIMY