Laramie Project Reflection

Topic: How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

    I was intrigued by The Laramie Project because it effectively told the tragic story of Matthew Shepard’s death from various perspectives. It is a heart-wrenching story, and I experienced feelings of grief and despair while reading it. I constantly thought about the difficulties Matthew’s family and friends are going through as they mourn over his death. I felt anger towards the fact that Matthew was beaten because of his sexuality. The event was eye opening, and showed that people don’t have the personal freedom that they deserve.
    The use of different perspectives of the citizens of Laramie kept me interested throughout the story. The most memorable perspective to me was one the Matthew Shepards murderers, Aaron McKinney. I believe what McKinney did was inexcusable and repugnant, and I felt anger towards him as he tried to defend his actions. One of the most emotion provoking scenes for me was when they were describing Matthew’s attack. Dr. Cantway and Aaron Kreifels, who is the man who found Matthew, describe the details of his injuries. When we read this part of the story, I was absolutely devastated.
    While reading this story, I also experienced anger towards society. I cannot believe that someone is willing to hurt another just because they don’t agree with their beliefs. I think McKinney and Henderson had no right to use violence against Matthew just because of his sexual orientation. I hope that this story makes people realize how tragic this event was, and that it prevents similiar violent attacks in the future.
    Overall, I experienced many emotions while reading The Laramie Project. I enjoyed hearing different peoples outlooks on the story and thought the play was very well done. The event of Matthew Shepards death was overwhelming, and I felt a great deal of sadness over this unjust attack. It helped me realize that not everybody is accepting of differences in beliefs throughout society.