The
Shepherd of the Hills
is a book written in 1907 by author Harold
Bell Wright
and illustrated by Frank G. Cootes. It depicts a mostly fictional story
of mountain folklore and forgiveness, and has been translated into
seven languages since its release. If you read the plot summary at the link
below, it almost feels like a modern version of Romeo and Juliet.
The novel has been the basis for four films, the first in
1919, and a television movie. The best-known version is the 1941 film of the same name
starring Harry Carey and John Wayne.
The
Shepherd of the Hills was a popular outdoor drama staged
from May to October, from 1960 until what was initially announced as its final
performance on October 19, 2013, in Branson,
Missouri. However, the play was brought back the next year with a reduced
performance schedule beginning on May 23, 2014. The outdoor play features more
than eighty actors, forty horses, and an actual nightly burning of the cabin.
The link below is the official website of the current operation:
To be accurate, you would have to say that “the shepherd of the
hills” has a happy ending, but there is ANOTHER “Shepard of the hills” story
that doesn’t.
Matthew Shepard was an
American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and
left to die in the nearby town of Laramie (elevation 7165) on the night of
October 6, 1998. He died on October 12, almost exactly 20 years ago. Perpetrators
Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney were arrested shortly after the attack,
and charged with first degree murder. Each of them received two consecutive
life sentences.
At the time of Matthew Shepard’s death, crimes committed on the basis of
sexual orientation were not prosecutable as hate crimes.
On March 20, 2007, the Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1592) was introduced
as federal bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress,
sponsored by Democrat John Conyers with 171 co-sponsors. Shepard's
parents attended the introduction ceremony. The bill passed the House of
Representatives on May 3, 2007. Similar legislation passed in the Senate on September 27, 2007 (S. 1105), however then-President George W. Bush indicated he would veto
the legislation if it reached his desk. The Democratic leadership
dropped the amendment in response to opposition from conservative groups and
Bush, and because the measure was attached to a defense bill there was a lack
of support from antiwar
Democrats.
On December 10, 2007, congressional powers attached
bipartisan hate crimes legislation to a Department of Defense Authorization
bill, although it failed to pass. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House, said she was "still committed to getting the Matthew
Shepard Act passed". Pelosi planned to get the bill passed in early 2008,
although she did not succeed. Following his election as President, Barack Obama
stated that he was committed to passing the Act.
The U.S. House of Representatives debated expansion of
hate crimes legislation on April 29, 2009. During the debate, Representative Virginia Foxx
of North Carolina
called the "hate crime" labeling of Shepard's murder a
"hoax".
Foxx later called her comments "a poor choice of words
The House passed the act, designated H.R. 1913, by a vote of
249 to 175. Ted Kennedy, Patrick Leahy,
and a bipartisan coalition introduced the bill in the Senate on April 28,and it had 43 cosponsors as of June 17, 2009. The
Matthew Shepard Act was adopted as an amendment to S.1390 by a vote of 63–28 on
July 15, 2009.
On October 22, 2009, the Senate passed the act by a vote
of 68–29.
President Obama signed the measure into law on October 28, 2009.
Shepard's murder
brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels. Following her son's murder, Judy Shepard became a prominent LGBT rights activist and established the Matthew
Shepard Foundation.
Shepard's death inspired notable films, novels, plays, songs, and other works.
Matthew Shepard’s story does not have a happy ending, but in
a way, it does.
Much as other tragic events (such as the murder of Emmett till
in 1955) ultimately resulted in legislation that protected vulnerable victims,
his death paved the way for legislation that added further protect to individuals
who have a “non- traditional” sexual orientation,
In July,2012, the SF Gay Men’s Choir performed in Laramie,
Wyoming to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and honor the memory of
Matthew Shepard, whose tragedy transformed the world:
In August of this year, our country bore witness to John
McCain’s passing, and his three funeral ceremonies. The last one was held at
the Washington National Cathedral, and two of men that defeated him for office
(George W. Bush and Barack Obama) paid tribute to him.
This month, it’s Matthew Shepard’s turn to be honored.
Just a few days ago, it was announced that Matthew Shepard’s
ashes ill be interred at the Washington National Cathedral, which will make him
one of 300 people (including Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller) who are also
interred there.
Somehow, that just seems like the right thing to do.
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