Why Virginia Foxx's non-apology for smearing Matthew Shepard isn't enough
First Rep. Virginia Foxx called Matthew Shepard's murder a 'hoax'. Then, she turned around and issued a non-apology apology:
I am especially sorry if his grieving family was offended by my statement. I was referring to a 2004 ABC News 20/20 report on Mr. Shepard's death. ABC's 20/20 report questioned the motivation of those responsible for his death. Referencing this media account may have been a mistake, but it was a mistake based on what I believed were reliable accounts.
But it wasn't a reliable account -- a fact that is obviously not well enough known, but still isn't any kind of excuse for uttering that kind of smear. And that's the problem. She spread a lie, a harmful, ugly lie, about Matt Shepard on the floor of the Congress, and she has never made plain to the public that it was a lie.
So you can't really blame Judy Shepard, Matthew's mother, for declining to accept: "She's apologizing for semantics."
Yesterday she tried again, and failed just as miserably to actually own up to the problem:
“In the heat of trying to handle the rule on the floor, anybody can use a bad choice of words. Saying that the event was a hoax was a poor choice of words,” Foxx said. “I’ve apologized for that. I never meant in any way to harm the family or offend the family or anybody else for that matter.”
“The term ‘hoax’ was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate-crimes bill,” Foxx said in a statement. “Mr. Shepard’s death was nothing less than a tragedy, and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received.”
As David Badash at the New Civil Rights Movement acutely observes:
Foxx’s newest “apology” demonstrates her lack of understanding of the basic issue confronting her: She lied about why Matthew Shepard was killed, and maligned the memory of a 21 year-old college student who, to the world, has become the face of a hate crime victim.
... One non-apology is bad, two demonstrates not only a lack of remorse or decency, but a total lack of understanding of the important and sensitive issues that confront our country.
You see, that ABC News report, by Elizabeth Vargas, was debunked at the time as a journalistic atrocity:
[T]he entire thrust of ABC's "revelations" -- that it was all a drug binge, not a hate crime -- reveals how little the reporters who worked on this understand not just bias crimes but criminal law generally. One factor, such as drug use, does not cancel out another, such as a bias motive. They often in fact appear together and work in conjunction.
There's an even more significant problem with the 20/20 report, however: It is signficantly factually flawed.
The flaw is not so much in what it reports, but what it intentionally omits.
...[T]he 20/20 report substantially omits evidence that was produced at the time establishing McKinney's bias motivation. And indeed, McKinney not only did not deny the existence of this bias, he positively embraced it at trial by attempting a "gay panic" defense.
Incidentally, Fritzen was not the lead investigator in the case. That honor went to a fellow named Rob DeBree. And DeBree has significantly repudiated the "crystal meth" theory.
Here's what he told Beth Loffreda, author of Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of an Anti-Gay Murder, regarding the attempt by McKinney's defense team to paint him as being under the influence of crystal meth:
Rob DeBree too was unimpressed by the argument -- he told me quite forcefully that the murder didn't look like any meth crime he knew.
In his confession to DeBree, McKinney had denied using meth the day of the murder, and while McKinney had been arrested too late for the police to confirm this through blood testing, DeBree felt certain that for once he had told the truth. Obviously it's unsurprising that the lead investigator would disagree with the defense, but DeBree had some compelling reasons on his side. "There's no way" it was a meth crime, DeBree argued, still passionate about the issue when I met him nearly six months after the trial had ended. No evidence of recent drug use was "found in the search of their residences. There was no evidence in the truck. From everything we were able to investigate, the last time they would have done meth would have been up to two to three weeks previous to that night. What the defense attempted to do was a bluff." ...
There are other serious problems with the report. It omits the fact that McKinney has now changed his story at least three times, and probably more, raising serious doubts about his credibility anyway. It also omits the fact that other detectives in the case testified at trial that the victim was selected for violence, and was beaten especially severely, because he was gay. Their testimony was based on their actual conversations with McKinney and Henderson.
And the piece's later attempts to defend McKinney by tainting Shepard's reputation (claiming he also was a crystal-meth user) should be beneath even the lowliest cops-and-courts reporter, let alone a national news organization. Even if true, whatever Shepard's habits, he did not deserve to die for them.
Nonetheless, as Foxx's remarks suggest -- and as posts from the right-wing blogosphere amply demonstrate -- the belief that the 20/20 report was anything remotely accurate or even a worthwhile piece of journalism has lingered as conventional wisdom on the right. As I recently noted, even Andrew Sullivan and Andrew Breitbart have been known to cough that hairball up in our laps too.
on the path.
is in the hall.
and everyday, the paperboy brings more.
Barack Obama: Change we can only imagine
I think it's marvelous!
HaHaHa!
she attempted to smear those that use the case as an example of a hate crime
still dont understand the fear of repugs in regards to hate crime legislation
the fact that your son was beaten down to a bloody pulp, and left to die crucified against a barbwire fence in the middle of a tundra... was a nothing more than a"conspiracy," thus implying you were making that stuff up about how your son died... I would think that would be a pretty serious smear. Specially when all those facts are part of a police investigation, clearly documented.
Rep Foxx is lucky she is bullying what seems to be a wonderful and decent family, was she to direct the same smear against any of my loved ones, I would probably lose it...
when did you become a telepath for bigots?
Some stuff you can't make up!
Right. "My bigotry-driven paranoia about gay people made me kill someone, so that should excuse it".
How that doesn't prove even more conclusively that it was a hate crime is baffling.
is fascinating, ain't it?
In the mind of these bigots, it turns out they are actually the victims. It would not be so baffling, if they were not sincere about that fact.
To advance her own hateful ideology and yesterday, some Republican from Georgia exploited a dead baby to advance his. All they have is hate and fear. I think that the sane Americans are over it and their party will continue to shrink. You know if a Democrat had done the same thing, the Republicans and the media would be screaming for them to resign.
Barack Obama: Change we can only imagine
zackly.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Is it that they hate everyone else and are scared the legislation will be used against them?
Or is it just because they love to hate?
:(
I've never seen change without a fire
The representative should be censured. There has to be a stop to this indecent behavior and it needs to come from the leadership in this country.
Jeanne
It's the party of
No middle class help
No health care reform
No environmental protection
No science
No gay rights
No minorities allowed
No dissenting opinions
No taxes
No mortgage help
No jobs help
No Liberals
No free press
No voting rights, (unless you vote Republican)
No Banking regulation
No women's right to choose
No people who will stand up to Rush
No investigations....
In fact, the only thing they seem to be for, is torture.
Barack Obama: Change we can only imagine
god's will, thank you jeezus.
Some stuff you can't make up!
And thanks, John for letting me do this. But fuck this battered old hag and her "apology" she can cram it up her wrinkly, white, southern ass for all I care. republcans are the most disgusting human beings on this planet, fuck all of them. How's that for some liberal "hating"?
whew, that felt good. Thanks.
For the sake of bi-partisan cooperation and in the spirit of good-will, you should now apologize to Virginia.
Repeat after me:
"Virginia, I apologize for your being a battered old hag. If my words offended you, please take solace in the fact that you are not the only wrinkly, white southern republican. My hatred of you should not be taken personally."
There, now you're off the hook.
lol!
Some stuff you can't make up!
Chocolate
Or French Onion
Batter
?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
and sincerely apologize. I have no faith in her type.
I've never seen change without a fire
She reminds me of our crazy neighbor when I was a kid. Screaming at us to stay out of her yard. Truth was we where scared to get anywhere near her bat-shit craziness
Politics is ugly
They are doing their best to help in the battle against disease. For surely laughter, even the derisive sort engendered by their idiotic behavior is still the best medicine?
It is quite often this very bigotry that gets these people elected. What really is unfortunate is these people and their non apologies, it reveals their coded language for this is how we do things, and this is the way we think.
But that would be very unfair to many of her constituents, and to those represented by someone like this, its too bad. In many districts (like mine) a Republican is a shoo in regardless. Young, old, wrinkly or the youngest Repug in the House, like I'm stuck with, you realize there is an ideological divide that will never be bridged. It's like the report that people who go to church are more likely to support torture. They just dont get it.
Radix Omnium Malorum Avaritia
GOP attempting to shake off what made them lose party's respect and voters, return to ethical election PR ...MINUS those very wedge issues abused to patronize intellectually constipated non-voters to dash off to a voting booth....to put unqualified inept sociopaths in our White House and on Chamber floors.
They're modeling on the party's past: to reawaken the previous notion "that the GOP was not only the party of ideas, but a party that listened to the American people" ... who are deaf to them now.
National Council for New America issued letter ... shocking and awing for what it omitted - bigotry.
Signed by 14 Republican leaders, they're not planning on abusing the issues of: same-sex marriage, immigration and abortion...and focused their "message" on health care and economics.
Limbaugh will be giving out their home addresses to his gun-totin' militias as we speak.
It is getting really old to keep hearing such ignorance and hatred from the Right-Wing.
What a scummy old bitch she is :p
from a bigot.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Since you don't have the moral character or humility to offer a sincere apology, you need to resign from public service immediately.
Our government is full of self centered egotists like you who gladly claim credit for their positive contributions but either refuse or are reluctant to accept accountability for their actions when they make mistakes. It's always somebody else's fault, isn't it?
Where you went wrong here is that used your position in Congress as a platform to boast about your morally superior ideology without even doing fundamental due diligence to make sure your "facts" were even right. What kind of idiot are you, anyway? You call that public service to your constituents? Are you that dense and politically hidebound? You are a sickening example of what is wrong with our political system when people are duped into electing mental defectives like you.
Personally, I've had more than enough of you right wing ideologues poisoning our public service and dialogue. For the betterment of America---get out of public service and stay out.
"We will find fulfillment not in the goods that we have, but in the good we can do for each other."
Robert F. Kennedy
Right the fuck on.
me-oww!
She was able to show she has 1000x more class and dignity in her little pinky finger, than Rep Foxx has in her whole family lineage.
About time someone shoveled these non-apologies back to the vermin that spews them.
But this woman is the biggest ugliest most hate-filled dried-up crusty old c-word this side of Coulter.
I missed the Elizabeth Vargas piece. What garbage! I stopped watching ABC News Shows when Stossel did a piece on how good out-sourcing American jobs was for the American worker. What a moron this guy is turning out to be I think he is Beck-Lite.
Remember the hit job Gibson/Stepanopolous did on Obama in the "so-called" debate. The classless way Trapper behaved in one of Obama's early briefings. They Suck!
I regret (not apologize) for any offense that might have been taken from my words which were meant to convey.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
One Foxx did not call the murder a hoax, nor did she smear Shepherd or his family, and she did not use his murder for political gain. If anyone used his murder for political gain it is the politicians who used the tragedy of his death to try to pass legislation.
She said using his murder to support legislation was a hoax. And please can anyone show me where she smeared Shepherd or his family?
Here is her full speech starting right at 2 minutes in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRRfdDRDAfI
And Mr Neiwart you state that "It omits the fact that McKinney has now changed his story at least three times, and probably more, raising serious doubts about his credibility anyway." But you have no problem accepting his testimony when it supports your point of view. Is his testimony credible or not?
Your blog on Orcinus list this quote by the scum "Guess what? We're not gay. You're gonna get jacked." This was before him and his lawyer came up with the 'gay panic' defense. I don't believe the robbery was motivated by the fact that Shepard was gay, one reason is that they had committed other robberies and assaults that night on non-homosexual persons, including one that had to go to the hospital for head wounds. Could the fact of him being gay influenced the violence? Yes I'm not denying that, but was it the only or even the main cause of it? I don't believe so.
They were looking for someone to rob, Shepard appeard to be a easy target. He was gay and in most peoples eyes less likely or less able to fight back, and easy to lure away. What more could a robber ask for?
Also you list in that blog that hate crimes "They are clearly special "message" crimes whose primary intent is to deprive whole groups of Americans of their right to partake of democracy, and they clearly create substantially more harm across all sectors of society than ordinary crimes. As such, they deserve harsher punishment."
I don't think the two asswipes that committed the murder of Shepard, were trying to send a message or deny homosexuals of their right to partake in democracy. They were two dickwads that in the commission of a robbery took out their hate on a defenseless person.
What they did was inexcusable, they deserved everything they received plus, but using the tragedy of a persons death to advance a political point is also inexcusable.
yup , another Republican " winner " straight out of Hee Haw , a genuine rocket scientist .
I assume that was in reply to my comment, do you have a actual rebuttal to make or just the standard Democrat name calling? Please feel free to offer a coherent response to anything I posted. I'll be glad to discuss it with you, but if you just choose to hurl poor insults, please forgive me if I don't reply after this.
..how else was the point to be made? The existing law was lacking in definition by omitting gays, lesbians and the transgendered. The Matthew Shepard case raised awareness of this and our elected officials acted. How are their actions perceived as a bad thing? This legislation is not directed at the attackers or is even something they have to be concerned of at this juncture. This legislation is being initiated because of what they did and why, as well as to give the next gay-bashing thug pause to contemplate the consequences or suffer them if he commits a hate crime against someone based on sexual orientation.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
the bill that was being discussed, or listened to the entirety of Foxx's speech, or just the sound bite and what you've been told? The bill violates the 10th amendment, and in action the 14th.
And how else was the point to be made? Perhaps through a coherent rebuttal of my comment?
Regarding Matthew Brady: Like your initial poisonous statement, your so-called "apologies" to Matthew's mother were unbelievably crass, insulting & insensitive in the extreme.
I pray the decent, good people of North Carolina raise up in all their numbers and vote you out of office in a landslide, so that you can then spend your remaining years as a lonely old woman, consumed by your own twisted hatred.
You are an EVIL woman, Ms. Foxx, and this world has no place for you-(but the next certainly does).
Matthew Shepard's murder was NO hoax, but the media circus that followed -including the funeral and court protests by Rev. Fred Phelps- was planned 10 years in advance:
http://www.amazon.com/After-Ball-America-Conq...
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