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Ignorance Is Not An Excuse |
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Lincoln Journal Star In the last moments of Fred's 16-year-old life, there was a bloody struggle.The life-ending attack left Fred C. "F.C." Martinez Jr. with a skull fracture, wrist and abdominal injuries. His attacker left him abandoned in "the Pits," a rocky canyon in southern Colorado. Some blame his death on hate - hate based on appearances and sexual orientation. As for his sexual identity, Martinez has been called both gay and transgendered. He explored his feminine side, often carrying a purse, wearing nail polish and sporting trendy hairstyles. The young Navajo from Cortez, Colo., ultimately paid an excruciating price for his girlish looks, demeanor, lifestyle. Yet he was born of a culture that made it easier for him to accept himself. The ancient Navajo language describes someone who embodies both masculine and feminine characteristics as "nadleehi," or two-spirit person. Martinez was happy, with lots of friends. It seems his lifestyle was more difficult for others to accept than it was for him. Eighteen-year-old Shaun Murphy - Martinez's alleged attacker - told friends he had "beat up a fag" after battering the nadleehi, according to an arrest affidavit. Murphy will face first-degree murder charges at his arraignment Thursday. Martinez's decomposed body was found in June. Although vigils for Martinez have been held at a number of locations across the country, his name and cause of death aren't widely known. He was a poor nadleehi Navajo kid from a single-parent household. Despite incriminating evidence, Colorado police have yet to classify his murder a hate crime. In a similar case, America snapped to attention when Matthew Shepard - a gay college student beaten to death - was pistol-whipped near Laramie, Wyo., in 1998. Shepard was a young man with classic white American good looks, the son of a family described as rich. Police were quick to label his death a hate crime - a definition that varies by state but usually includes violence motivated by bigotry and fear. In a show of solidarity, Judy Shepard, Matthew's mother, has participated in a vigil for Martinez with his mother, Pauline Mitchell. Although they come from strikingly different backgrounds, the two women now share something in common. They count themselves among the parents, families and friends of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. They and others share concern for youths such as Martinez and Shepard whose sexual orientation differs, whose daily lives can be difficult. Human Rights Watch estimates more than two million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered school-aged youths nationwide are assaulted physically and emotionally every day. Some would ascribe their abuse to ignorance. Ignorance? Oh, but to live a life of ignorant bliss. Thankfully, a number of people and organizations in this country don't buy the I-didn't-know argument. I remember my Army basic training experience when an array of military terms and protocol were thrust upon all new recruits. For the young soldiers who were chewed out, the quick answer to spill from our mouths was an abrupt: "I didn't know." A drill sergeant's common reply: "Ignorance is no excuse." That phrase has stuck with me. So when I hear the I-didn't-know phrase, I know better. To be ignorant by dictionary standards implies one is "destitute of knowledge or education." It would be a lot easier to accept a guilty plea based on lack of intelligence rather than an argument based on lack of knowledge. We live in one of the most highly educated countries in the world. A plethora of information lies at our fingertips via an uncensored Internet, extensive library systems and a capitalist-driven book market. It's not a lock-and-key secret. People learn when they want to learn. Sales of books about Muslims and Arabs, Islam and the Middle East are now blossoming. It shouldn't take a national tragedy to move people to accept, challenge and explore. Tragedy shouldn't befall someone like Martinez who did. Jodi Rave Lee can be reached or jrave@journalstar.com. |
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