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Line 1: − − :Asked [by ABC News] directly whether [the lead killer] targeted and attacked Shepard because he was gay, McKinney told Vargas, "No. I did not. ... I would say it wasn't a hate crime. All I wanted to do was beat him up and rob him." − − :But if the attackers were just trying to rob someone to get a drug fix, why did they beat Shepard so savagely? − − :[[Prosecutor]] Rerucha attributes McKinney's rage and his savage beating of Shepard to his drug abuse. "The methamphetamine just fueled to this point where there was no control. It was a horrible, horrible, horrible murder. It was a murder that was once again driven by drugs," Rerucha said. − − :Dr. Rick Rawson, a professor at UCLA who has studied the link between methamphetamine and violence, tells "20/20" the drug can trigger episodes of violent behavior. − − :"In the first weeks after you've stopped using it, the kinds of triggers that can set off an episode are completely unpredictable. It can be: you say a word with the wrong inflection, you touch someone on the shoulder. It's completely unpredictable as to what will set somebody off" Rawson said. − − :"If Aaron McKinney had not become involved with methamphetamine, Matthew Shepard would be alive today," Rerucha said. − − So what was the basis for the claim that this was a hate crime? According to ABC News, "Prosecutor Rerucha recalls that Shepard's friends ... contacted his office. Rerucha told '20/20,' "They were calling the County Attorney's office, they were calling the media and indicating Matthew Shepard is gay and we don't want the fact that he is gay to go unnoticed."<ref>''Id.''</ref> − −
Reverted edits by Conservative (Talk); changed back to last version by Learn together
'''Mathew Shepard''' (1976-1998) was an American college student from [[Wyoming]]. On October 7th, 1998, he was savagely beaten and robbed by two men, and died on October 12th. The killers were heavily involved in drugs and had met Shepard in a bar, giving him a ride afterwards. A misguided defense of one of the killers tried to make an issue of Shepard's [[homosexuality]], but there was no evidence verifying that as the cause and the defendants were convicted and received life sentences.
'''Mathew Shepard''' (1976-1998) was an American college student from [[Wyoming]]. On October 7th, 1998, he was savagely beaten and robbed by two men, and died on October 12th. The killers were heavily involved in drugs and had met Shepard in a bar, giving him a ride afterwards. A misguided defense of one of the killers tried to make an issue of Shepard's [[homosexuality]], but there was no evidence verifying that as the cause and the defendants were convicted and received life sentences.
Shepard's death was cited by homosexual activists to propose legislation to classify attacks against homosexuals as a [[hate crime]] that would be punished more severely than in the absence of homosexuality. All legislation, both in Wyoming and on the national level, has failed.<ref>http://www.reason.com/news/show/31008.html</ref>. A recent effort to pass a bill has had President Bush vowing to veto.
Shepard's death was cited by homosexual activists to propose legislation to classify attacks against homosexuals as a [[hate crime]] that would be punished more severely than in the absence of homosexuality. All legislation, both in Wyoming and on the national level, has failed.<ref>http://www.reason.com/news/show/31008.html</ref>. A recent effort to pass a bill has had President Bush vowing to veto.