Read the full text of the statement by the mother of Matthew Shepard  to Sally Kern at the Victory Fund, the site which obtained and released the audio tape of the now-infamous Kern spewing her hate message to constituents.  Kern continues to stand by her message.  The alarming part of this story is not how a woman of Kern’s character got elected in Oklahoma, nor even that she refuses to apologize.  The alarming part is that she has not been sidelined or marginalized but in fact is being applauded by fellow Republicans.

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“My son died nearly ten years ago at the hands of people whose hatred changed many lives that day. It hardened hearts and brought others to their knees. It shook a nation and enraged millions. At that time, I knew there was a window of opportunity that I could use Matthew’s story and my voice in replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, we are reaching young people who are at risk of being poisoned by the dark ideas of people like Sally Kern. I don’t know why Sally Kern is proud of comparing gay people to cancer or terrorism, but count me as someone who’s listening now to people like her. She may be free to say people like my son are a threat to America, but when she does she puts other mothers’ sons in danger. I pray she doesn’t say it anymore.”