I would like to commend the Tribune on the recent articles concerning the attempted murder of Ron Cayot in the Lakeview neighborhood. Reporters Christine Hawes and Steve Johnson seized this oppor-tunity to present an accurate and well-balanced portrayal of hate crimes against lesbians and gays. These reports are even more critical in a time when the entertainment industry tends to portray lesbians and gays as murderers and psychological deviants. There has been a 31 percent annual increase in hate crimes against lesbians and gays in this country.
Articles such as those written by Hawes and Johnson will help to reverse this trend and foster a better understanding so that we might live in a more peaceful society where hate crimes are a thing of the past.
