How did this bigot ever get elected? Why is it so damn hard for these people to recognize hatred when it stares them in the face. It is extremely disturbing to see someone lie like this when common sense would tell anyone this is the a hate crime. She must also be so full of hatred herself for gay people as she is willing to make these comments. How wrong

Kenneth E. Peacock, Chancellor
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608

Subject: ASU’s association with U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx

Dear Chancellor Peacock:

I had the honor of meeting you some weeks ago at an alumni reception in St. Petersburg.

I was born, raised and lived most of my life in North Carolina. I am extremely proud of that upbringing, and am a very proud Mountaineer. The lessons I’ve taken from my upbringing and education have, I believe, served me well. I was incredibly impressed by your presentation and your enthusiasm for the University, and recognize the current budget pressures you must confront.

At the reception, I noted I’d been lucky enough to receive a small bonus from work, and promised to share that with the University’s program for the financially disadvantaged students. Perhaps, with the deepest regret I’ve ever felt in my life, I cannot continue my support of Appalachian State University. Even my pride in North Carolina is shaken, and I can no longer be proud of my home state.

Boone and the University are, as you know, in the Fifth Congressional District, and Virginia Foxx is the representative for that district. I have seen, on Rep. Foxx’s congressional website, a number of photographs with her appearing at ASU functions behind and beneath the ASU Banner.

Unfortunately today I saw a video of a statement made by Rep. Foxx on the floor of the United States House of Representatives opposing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. It was the vilest, most hate-filled, hateful, and un-Christian statement I believe I’ve ever heard come from a U.S. Representative. (And that is a pretty high bar.)

To advance her political career, Rep. Foxx claimed that Matthew Shepard was killed merely as part of a robbery. This is a lie, and Rep. Foxx is, or ought to be, aware of the record before making such a statement. The Laramie Police and Prosecutors said the two men lured Mr. Shepard from a bar by pretending to be gay, beat him to pulp, and left him hung, still alive, on a fence post for over 18 hours. The men attempted to use a “gay panic” defense during their trial, and one of the defendants admitted to beating Mr. Shepard because he was gay. How is that not a hate crime?

Yet Rep. Foxx had the gall to stand on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and say, “It’s really a hoax.”

Chancellor Peacock, I recognize the political reality with which you are faced, but as a gay man, who, while never having suffered as did Mr. Shepard, has been subjected to threats and discrimination, must also stand up to the very real face of hate. I have seen that in the face and words of Rep. Foxx, not only today, but in previous statements. So while I understand you will be able to take no action on this matter, I can act. I cannot, and will not, support any person, organization, group or institution that even associates itself with Rep. Foxx. A person with Rep. Foxx’s spirit of hatefulness and lack of integrity should not be actively exposed to the diverse group of young people under your charge as part of any University sponsored event

I hope that will appreciate that this is an extremely difficult decision on my part, but until such time as the University publically denounces Rep. Foxx’s statement and bans her from access to the Campus or any University sponsored event, or until such time as the voters in her district recognize her for the hateful, dishonest person she is and vote her out of office, I will make no further contributions to ASU.

Again, I regret this decision, and hope that the time will be short when I can resume my contributions to my beloved Alma mater.

cc: Rep. Virginia Foxx

Ms. Foxx is a cunt of the highest order.

Hmmm... let's see. There's a lot of huffy outrage here, and Kim even goes so far as to call Foxx a "cunt." Do we see a contradiction in any of this? That kind of language, my friends, is exactly what's constituted as "hate speech" in some contexts. Careful what you say from now on... the hate police are watching.

First of all, I think people are vastly over-reading Foxx's statement. Secondly, let me pose this question: What if, just hypothetically even, Matthew Shepard had NOT been killed for being gay? Isn't the crime itself horrific enough? Doesn't it warrant the kind of punishment our (overly zealous) criminal (in)justice system already metes out in spades? Or are we,in this outrage over Foxx's comment, implicitly acknowledging that our case for HCL is always a wobbly one?

I've already written about HCL here: http://tinyurl.com/cn3qum (I'm a queer on the left, and I don't support it) and it's clearly time for part 2. But suffice it to say, I think the comments here alone prove that the call for HCL is an unsettling reminder of how irrational and even bloodthirsty we queers can get. Surely we, of all people, who understand the harmful effects of the state's intrusion on our bodies, thoughts, and lives, should resist measures like HCL.

This makes me sad.

Yasmin, don't be sad. Get a clue. The woman, Representative Foxx is totally without a clue. She has no sense of what's it's like to lose a child to hate and she has no clue what it's like to grow up in an environment where killing a queer for christ is ok. I have nothing but contempt for the woman. You seem to be trying to find a middle ground. Forget it! She is a cunt!

Rep Fox has released a statement about her "word choice":

"It has come to my attention that some people have been led to believe that I think the terrible crimes that led to Matthew Shepard's death in 1998 were a hoax," she said. "The term "hoax" was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate crimes bill. Mr. Shepard's death was nothing less than a tragedy and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received.

"The larger context of my remarks is important. I was referring to a 2004 ABC 20/20 report on Mr. Shepard's death. The 20/20 report questioned the motivation of those responsible for Mr. Shepard's death. Referencing this media account may have been a mistake, but if so it was a mistake based on what I believed were reliable accounts."

Yasmin, you are not clear to me at all. Don't try to restrict my free speech by calling it "hateful." You say you are opposed to HCL. I am of the impression that HCL is Hate Crimes Legislation and you are opposed to it. Why? Are you a republican or a right-wing conservative, or what? I don't know any one opposed to Hate Crimes Legislation. Are you kidding? You construe my remarks as hateful towards Ms. Foxx. How very perceptive you are. She has my utter contempt. Pick a word to describe her and so long as there is no positive connotation, it will likely fit. No, I do not know Ms. Foxx, but I do know what it is like to lose a child. She is despicable in trying to place the blame on the victim. You choose the adjective to describe her, I chose the one that came to mind for a person of her ilk.

Keith Olbermann's response on MSNBC to Virginia Foxx's unconscionable statement echoed the outrage that so many of us felt today. He concluded, "She is not worthy to represent this country, nor any of its parties nor any of its peoples. She is our shame..."

Congresswoman Foxx does not speak for the American People or for reasoned voices in her own party. Here in Colorado, Republican US Senate candidate Kenneth Buck spoke eloquently in this Sunday's Denver Post in support of bias-motivated crime legislation:

"To inflict violence on a person simply because he or she is different is morally repugnant to our broader sense of community. Outlawing such acts through comprehensive laws is a necessary and overdue step toward protecting our fellow citizens from being singled out for hate-based violence."

Mr. Buck should know. He is the Weld County District Attorney, whose staff successfully prosecuted Allen Andrade last week for the brutal murder of Angie Zapata, including a historic conviction under Colorado's bias-motivated crime statute. He concluded:

"Every human being, whether they are like us or not, is of infinite worth and deserves to have his life protected with every tool available to law enforcement. We expect no less for our families."

Figured folks may be interested in this action alert - http://takeaction.nyacyouth.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1475

You can join NYAC in calling on Rep. Foxx to apologize to the Shepard family and LGBTQ community for her remarks.

The idea that Matthew Shepard's murder wasn't motivated by his sexual orientatione goes way back with the conservative movement. It's as much a part of their lore as "the founding fathers were fundamentalist Christians" and Ricky Martin's "hate couture" are.

I can see why she'd say something like that in front of the entire country. The right has built up their own sound machine, their own means of communication, and their own community in order to create their own reality. She had no idea that there were people who'd disagree with this since the right has created a whole alternative story to Matthew Shepard, complete with metaphorical black helicopters and everything. They usually sit around and repeat this fantasy as if it were real and everyone just says ditto. How was she to know other people might think differently?

The point of it wasn't just to mobilize against hate crimes legislation, but to dismantle the idea that gays are oppressed at all. It's the same as when Michelle Malkin and other assorted rightwing bloggers a few years back were trying to disprove the fact that an Iraqi source for the AP even existed because then they thought all their stories about how the war was going badly would unravel (they turned out to be wrong there, but whatever).

.......In today's Marilyn Musgrave Memorial Stakes, there are 2 uncharming fillies contending for the title of Dumbest, Most Bigoted Woman in Congress......and THEY'RE OFF.....

Michelle Bachmann goes off the rail, and takes a lead over Virginia Foxx, then Fox gains ground in the backstretch.......they turn for home, both under the whip.......and it's a photo-finish. They both win the Musgrave Cup. Which makes them both LOO=SERS!