Canada: Nothing to fear from Latimer

Description: [of the article from The Victoria Times Colonist]

Gary Bauslaugh writes: As one who has studied the Latimer case for many years, spent many hours interviewing Robert Latimer and who has read the entire trial testimony, it is saddening to read that a disabled person in Victoria fears for her safely because Latimer currently lives here (letter, Aug. 27).

There are lots of questionable parole decisions that seem to give too much freedom to dangerous people, but this is not one of them.

Latimer's judge, jury and even his prosecutor understood that his act in ending the life of his daughter Tracy, whether or not it was a wise one, was an act of love. It is clear his sole motivation was to end her pain, which had escalated to an unbearable point after nearly 13 years of loving care by her parents.

Bauslaugh concludes: The fear and misunderstanding expressed in the letter is the unfortunate result of extreme positions taken by various organizations in support of the disabled, citing Latimer as some sort of threat to the people they represent. Such demonization does nothing to help understand the real moral complexities of the case; it only promotes irrational fear and hatred.

[There are other related stories in the Links section below.]

Links:

To read the full article click on one of these links, both of which go to the same destination. A short link is provided for the convenience of readers. Also, readers may search and browse past and future advisories on the web (see bottom.)

  • http://tinyurl.com/35chdoc

  • http://www.timescolonist.com/Nothing+fear+from+Latimer/3456884/story.html

    Also see:

  • Canada: Latimer and disabled citizens [The Victoria Times Colonist]
    http://www.timescolonist.com/Latimer+disabled+citizens/3449563/story.html

    Donna Pistell writes: I was unaware that Robert Latimer, convicted of murdering his disabled daughter Tracy, who had cerebral palsy, was living in a halfway house in Victoria or that he is applying for yet more lenient parole with more freedom.

    As a severely disabled quadriplegic woman who has lived with cerebral palsy all my life, I will feel unsafe going down the street in my wheelchair knowing that this man is free to walk the streets of my hometown.

    If Latimer is given more freedom, it will be just another example of how little the Canadian government values its disabled citizens.

  • Canada: Judging the value of a life [The Globe and Mail]
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/judging-the-value-of-a-life/article1688283/

    Lysiane Gagnon concludes a column opposing euthanasia with:

    Maybe Canada would follow a different path. But what's beyond doubt is that legalizing assisted suicide would apply terrible pressures on severely disabled or terminally ill people who don't want to die even though their lives might seem worthless in the eyes of others. The fact is that most people, whatever their condition, don't want to die. Since Oregon legalized medically assisted suicide in 1997, about 40 people a year, on average, asked for the procedure - obviously a tiny fraction of terminally ill or severely disabled people. Who, indeed, can judge the value of one's life?

Source:

Bauslaugh, Gary. "Nothing to fear from Latimer". The Victoria Times Colonist. August 29, 2010. <www.timescolonist.com/Nothing+fear+from+Latimer/3456884/story.html>. The Victoria Times Colonist, 2621 Douglas Street, Victoria, B.C., V8T 4M2, Canada.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • Robert Latimer

  • disability

  • mercy killing

  • Canada

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid201008300306.
Mailed: Monday, August 30, 2010 14:46:55 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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