English

by Jim Derksen

(27 November 1997) — Manitoba law professor Barney Sneiderman has developed a model statute which would reduce murder charges to manslaughter on the ground of compassionate motivation. The starting point for this model is the actual state of mind of the accused.

(25 November 1997) — Our community was relieved to see that Robert Latimer was convicted of the murder of his daughter Tracy. The verdict upheld our basic right as people with disabilities to equal protection and benefit of the law. However, over the last week the debate has once again shifted focus from the murder of Tracy to "how could we possibly jail Robert Latimer 'the salt of the earth' for ten years?" We find once again a significant outpouring of support for Robert Latimer and his family.

(21 November, 1997) Halifax—Members of the Canadian Association for Community Living, a national advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring the rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities, strongly support the decision of Mr. Justice G. E. (Ted) Noble, in finding Robert Latimer guilty of murdering his daughter, Tracy.

[19 November 1997]

I find it hard to add anything 'new' to the discussion about the Latimer trial, in view of the powerful contributions that have already been made by everyone from Teague Johnson to Cheryl Eckstein. But I also believe that it's important to add our voice to the other voices of families and friends.

We are parents of a child who might be described the way Tracy has been described in the course of her trial (sorry, her father's trial). If Robert Latimer goes free, it means three things:

(17 November 1997) — Most lawyers agree with the old adage that "hard cases make bad law." Tailoring our laws to fit a few exceptions almost invariably means that they will fail to fit a much larger number of typical cases. We believe that changing the laws to respond to overwhelming public sentiment that Robert Latimer deserves a lighter sentence will almost certainly result in many new problems for Canadian law and society.

To understand what these new problems will be, we need to consider three possible alternatives for making these changes:

(5 November 1997) — I wanted to say that I appreciate your organization's attendance at the trial and your defense of Tracy and others before the media. I read the Latimer Watch entries on the CCD web page and today was moved to reply because of what you wrote about parents. I am appalled at Latimer's defense of "necessity". I try to be an ally of people with disabilities. My own brother was banished from our family at birth because he had Down's Syndrome. He died alone in a horrible institution of pneumonia at the age of 8.

[3 November 1997]

by Tony Diamanti

We remember a beautiful little girl's life that was cut short, way too short. Although her death was caused at the hands of her father, I believer her death was also contributed to by an ignorant, and sometimes apathetic society.

Tracy Latimer's death was in the most part, viewed as a mercy killing, rather than a tragic loss of a young girl's life. Tracy was severely disabled and non-speaking, much as I am considered to be by society's standards.

(November 3, 1997) — We would like to comment on a statement that the Calgary Herald printed by Marilynne Seguin, a founding member of Dying with Dignity who is quoted in the article saying "a few vocal disabled groups have been speaking loudly and meddling in the case. I don't know how Mr. Latimer can receive justice. He has suffered in so many ways and to such a degree none of us could even imagine it."

[31 October 1997]

by Cheryl M. Eckstein (This article previously appeared in Abilities Magazine, Vol. 5 No. 2 Winter 1996/97.)

On October 24, 1993, Tracy Latimer was lifted up from her warm bed and carried out into the crisp autumn air and placed into the front seat of her father's truck. After her father propped her up with some old rags he had taken from his storage shed, he closed the doors. What once was a vehicle that took her to school and camping, was now temporarily refurbished as a gas chamber.

by Elizabeth Derouin

(30 October 1997) — Two weeks ago, I read a couple of articles in the CCD Latimer Watch that made me ill. The articles were based on euthanasia. One of the victims was Tracy Latimer...and the other was Katie Lynn Baker who had been starved to death.

...Euthanasia is growing to a point where it is only a question of time where society will be making life and death decisions for people with disabilities as a whole, and determining their worth to the human race. No one is entitled to play the role of God, if there is one.