The Laramie Project is actually a play that details the reactions in the community in Laramie, Wyoming, to the murder of gay university student Matt Shepard. As different occupants recount information on the event and reflect on the consequence of the hate crime, two sentiments arise: one that perceives media characterization of the community after Shepard’s death echo their own inklings about Laramie, and the one which find it contradicts with their own vision.
Descriptions right from the start of the enjoy portray Laramie in a positive light, and it seems like a murder like this of Matthew Shepard could not have taken put in place such a peaceful and friendly place. Many, like Rebecca Hilliker, believed that “you [had] the opportunity to always be happy in your life right here [] sunlight was shimmering (Kaufman 4). Similarly, other folks like university student Jedidiah Schultz describe Laramie as “a beautiful town [where] you might have your very own identity” (7). However , since the occurrence, media coverage has forged the identity with the town of Laramie into one that is closely associated with a hate criminal offense, now “a town described by a great accident” (7).
With recognition of Laramie powered to the countrywide scale, personas bring up problem: should Laramie be defined by the actions of Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson? The multimedia coverage was overwhelming and unfamiliar, Jon Peacock recounts hundreds of reporters, and how the town “[was not] used to that type of exposure” (46). It absolutely was unusual pertaining to Laramie to be scrutinized, and the intensity of such activities evoked resentful feelings via townspeople. Sgt Hing calls the avalanche of news “sensationalism”, while Eileen Engen is convinced Laramie was “more or less maligned” by the reporters (47). Hing and Engen are disappointed with what they will perceive as being a biased portrayal of their community, of the press reducing what should be regarded about Laramie to one indelible disturbance. In this way, these activities also act as a way of ensuring the incident is not ignored or perhaps forgotten simply by Laramie occupants.
On the other hand, some residents align with all the news testimonies because that they feel that it assists expose their very own long-time distress with Laramie. The people of Laramie will be finally required to confront their particular homophobia, Tiffany Edwards considers, because “media actually [makes] people accountable” (47). Yet , it is crystal clear that several residents avoid feel liable. At a candlelight vigil in Laramie, Zubaida Ula recounts with frustration showing how someone exclaimed “C’mon guys, let’s show the world that Laramie is certainly not the kind of a town” (57). Ula perceives the passion townspeople possess with restoring Laramie’s good reputation since misguided, simply because fail to accept the important homophobia within the town was your very reason for the hate crime. Instead, the community needs to focus changing inward before outwards.
Through interviews conducted with all the residents of Laramie, Canastillo Kaufman and members with the Tectonic Movie theater Project establish varied feelings towards media handling of Matthew Shepard’s death. Some see it since harming to Laramie’s status, while others believe that media insurance coverage has directed attention towards true trouble at hand”the cruelty and contradiction present in their community. Ultimately, residents must examine how they at present are like a collective, and what they have to do to incite change.
