I read an op ed piece by Rod Dreher where James Wagner allegedly writes about the woman who did such great evil is dead, but how the society that created her is not, and basically that she and society are to blame for Nicholos Gutierrez brutally killing this woman, Mary Stachowicz. Do you really believe that? When did he not become responsible for his own actions? How can you justify the slaying of a woman, only by saying that's she kind-of deserved it because she didn't believe in homosexuality. I am not gay myself, but have one realy close friend who is gay. I don't try to pretend that I can even imagine how dificult it was for him growing up, pretending to like girls just so people wouldn't know the truth. I do know a bit of his suffering, because I was the only one he felt comfortable talking to, but even that took him a while. we were in college before he could get the nerve to tell me, and I had pretty much known for a couple of years. So I can say that I can see the scope of the difficulty a young homosexual would have. My friend also grew up a Catholic, so I can imgine this made life no easier. however, my friend is fine. by saying that, I mean that he certainly has no homocidal tendencies, and he thinks that the slaying in Chicago is a travesty. I guess I feel that blaming this poor woman, epecially after her death, is not only counter-productive, but inhumane. Her death was no less unjust or cruel than, for example, Matthew Sheppard's brutal slaying a few years ago. If you really feel that equallity matters, and that all people should be treated equally, how can you say that this woman was evil, and that her death was somehow her own fault? That is probably one of the most bigoted perspectives to have.

*At last* I have some insight into the Stachowicz murder-sympathy piece: Anyone who thinks Ted Rall is "superb" for anything except lining birdcages or wrapping fish has won his battle with reality. Decisively.