Making Connections in ‘Laramie Project’

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080410/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians;_ylt=Ah_AbefD43tFJcXZbsYz1aJvaA8F

The link directs to the most recent update of the death toll that has been plaguing hotly debated holy land in Israel. Between the Israelis and Palestinians who both claim the land to be rightfully theres, the suicide bombings, cruise missile strikes, and steamrolling of villages on the part of military tanks has become almost an expected daily headline. The hate and resentment between the two sides relates to the ignorance of the accused in the Matthew Sheppard case. Unable to cope with their prejudice against an idea that is different from their own, the killers brutally torture and murder their victim much in the same way the Israelis and Palestinians kill each other – without hesitation or remorse. The reason the two sides can’t cope with their religious differences is that they have both been raised in an environment taught to hate the enemy, in this case being the people of an opposite faith.

Themes in ‘Laramie Project’

The three predominant themes I’ve deciphered from reading ‘Laramie Project’ are innocence, indifference and individualism. The theme of individualism is expressed through the varying mentalities of the characters towards homosexuality. While it is obvious that many of the residents of Laramie don’t condone the ruthless beating given to Matthew Sheppard, there doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming sense of disdain for the accused. The reaction of the Laramie residents, much more conservative than that of the more diverse university population, seems to come across as “well, that’s a shame, but he (Matthew) should have known better.” The quote “Laramie is live and let live,” which is repeated several times throughout the play, seems to contradict itself. This sort of mentality offers homosexual individuals the autonomy to practice their own sexual orientation, but to be prepared to reap the consequences if that freedom exceeds its limitations, which are ultimately determined by the straight population. To me, there is nothing “let live” about that sort of philosophy.