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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 635

	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to 
recognize Judy Shepard for her outstanding endeavors to educate 
Americans on the need to treat all people with dignity and 
respect; and
	WHEREAS, Judy Shepard is the executive director of the 
Matthew Shepard Foundation, which was established in December
of 1998 to honor the dreams, beliefs, and aspirations of
Matthew Shepard, her son, who died a victim of homophobic 
violence; and
	WHEREAS, Honoring Matthew Shepard's legacy has led Judy to 
be a forceful and compassionate voice for her son's values of 
dignity and respect for others; and
	WHEREAS, Since the tragic loss of her son, Judy Shepard
has become a leader in the effort to end hate crimes in the
United States; her commitment to this goal has taken her to our 
nation's capital to lobby for hate crimes legislation, and she 
has worked with organizations dedicated to ending hatred and 
violence in our nation; and
	WHEREAS, A well-known speaker on civil and human rights, 
Judy addresses audiences on the need to raise awareness about the 
dangers of hate language and about hatred as a learned behavior 
that can be unlearned; and
	WHEREAS, An exemplary lady of strength, courage, and high 
moral principles, Judy Shepard is an inspiration to others, and 
she deserves recognition for her tenacity and her hard work on 
behalf of human rights and dignity; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
78th Legislature, hereby commend Judy Shepard for her valor and 
her commitment to raising public awareness of the need for all 
citizens to accept and respect people from all walks of life; 
and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 
her as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
                                                                      Barrientos




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on April 16, 2003.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate