Editor's Note:This article is about the controversial and sensitive subject of homosexuality. I encourage all of you to talk to your parents regarding this subject prior to reading this article. Also, please remain respectful in posting your opinions in the BBS.

All human life is equal and should be respected. That's one of the first things you learn in your life, whether or not it was pounded repeatedly into your skull by a parent, or read again and again to you in childish story books by a teacher, we all learned that sometime.

People may think that all discrimination is done, that all racism is over with, and that everyone has rights. In a dream world, that would be true. However, the world is not perfect, and discrimination is still going on today.

Here, I am going to attempt to cover a difficult subject, and I hope that I do an accurate job. The subject is homophobia.

You may not think that being gay is morally alright, and I respect that. Most people will. I don't want to change your beliefs; that would be both impossible and folly.

However, everyone deserves respect. Many people may not agree with the "lifestyle" of a gay person, but, no matter what, that person should be respected as a human being. There is no reason to beat a person to death, or murder then in other grisly ways because of ones sexual orientation.

But that happens today anyway. Take the Matthew Shepard case. This man was gay, and because of it he was robbed, beaten, and tied to a fence because of his sexual orientation. When he was found, 18 hours later, and still breathing, he was caked with blood and mistaken for a scarecrow. His injuries were so severe that it was impossible to operate, and he soon passed away. He was 21 years old.

I was speaking with someone the other day on that case, and she said "I don't have any feelings for it." It did not make her upset, or even worry her. Another person said that I should be thankful it wasn't my family, or that I shouldn't worry about someone I never had the privileged of meeting.

Is it socially acceptable to beat a dog to death? No, not to most people, yet to many people today, it is okay to beat this man to death. This was a fellow human being; he walked and talked and was smart and funny. He had a family, people who loved him, and his whole life ahead of him. But it was taken from him, and still people feel no remorse?

So please, dear reader, before you say something to a group of people, think about it. A remark such as "That's so gay" is always going to hurt someone in the crowd. Always. Whether you're at church, a party, or at school, there is someone in your close group who will feel hurt by that remark. This person may or may not be gay. It's a human rights issue, or a personal one, or something in between.

In conclusion, what I hope to have gotten across is to to remember to respect everyone. Everyone, even the person you despise the most in your class. Remember they have a life too, and they have prospects. Remember Matthew Shepard.

This is the end, and froderick is signing off now.