This letter is about the tragic incident involving the death of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming recently. More accurately, this letter concerns the attempt to get this murder charged as a "hate crime."

The idea of giving someone "extra punishment" based on their thoughts and ideas is absurd, especially in this country that was founded on the belief in free speech and ideas.

It goes without saying that the people who committed this horrific crime should be punished. They should be punished for physically infringing on the rights of another human being. I even believe that they should be given "extra punishment" for physically torturing the victim. However, they should not be punished for their belief system that allegedly led up to this act of violence.

It just astounds me that there is even an attempt to prosecute someone based on what he or she might be thinking. Let me bring up a point.

During a hypothetical Ku Klux Klan p! ublic rally, let us just say that one of the speakers is giving some rhetoric as to why he believes God made the white people his "chosen few." This infuriates a female protester, who proceeds to throw a rock at the aforementioned speaker. The rock strikes the speaker on the side of the head causing a hemorrhage which results in death. During the resulting trial, it is brought up that the defendant is an atheist and a member of the local "Students Against Racism" group. It would seem that the defendant maliciously threw the rock at the speaker because she did not agree with his religious and political views. Should this person be charged with a "hate crime"?

Of course, the defendant should be charged with murder, but why should the punishment be more strict because of her beliefs?

I would be completely ignorant to not understand that the reason that Mr. Shepherd was attacked was because of certain people's negative reaction to his homosexuality. But, as long ! as there is not infringement on someone else's person or property, sho uldn't Americans be allowed to have these "negative" views?