Robert Latimer was denied day parole earlier this week. The Saskatchewan farmer is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 10 years for the murder of his 12-year-old daughter, Tracy. Latimer and his wife had trouble caring for Tracy who was severely disabled and so in October 1993 he did what any loving parent would have done. He placed his daughter in the cab of his pickup truck and pumped the cab full of exhaust fumes. Shy and not wanting to have to handle the array of accolades that were sure to be bestowed upon him for his brave act, Latimer put the child’s body in her bed and waited for his wife to return from church to discover the death.
Latimer was charged and convicted of second degree murder after a trial that was followed by a series of appeals that consisted of a minor victory along the way. The legal proceedings ended on January 18, 2001 when the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the sentence for second degree murder of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 10 years.
During the trial and appeal proceedings, Latimer was free for much of the time and now having served seven years behind bars, he became eligible to apply for day parole. The three-member panel of the National Parole Board unanimously rejected Latimer’s application on the grounds that he did not have any “insight” into his actions. In other words the Board found that Latimer had absolutely no remorse for his actions. With all due respect to the panel members, it was hardly a difficult conclusion to make; Robert Latimer told them that he didn’t feel guilty for ending the life of his disabled 12-year-old little girl.
Robert Latimer bears a certain resemblance to American anti-war activist, Cindy Sheehan. For starters, they both saw one of their children die although unlike Latimer, Sheehan wasn’t happy about it. Both Robert Latimer and Cindy Sheehan come across as relatively simplistic people who are easily manipulated by others in order to promote a political agenda. The American anti-war movement carefully molded Sheehan into becoming the voice and symbol of those Americans who were vehemently opposed to not only the war in Iraq, but all war and pretty well everything American. Similarly, Latimer is being used by proponents of the right to die movement who think that parasites like little Tracy should be done away with. They make no bones about the fact that their wish that people can choose to end their lives extends way beyond those adults who are of sound mind and who are capable of making a rational decision about terminating their lives.
After the National Parole Board refused Latimer’s application for day parole, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association jumped on the bandwagon. Association lawyer Allan Borovoy called Latimer’s incarceration “a national disgrace” and has called on the federal government to grant clemency for the child-killer. This “national disgrace” is a result of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision upholding the life sentence. It’s amusing how those on the left worship the Charter of Rights and the courts that interpret that document until the court makes a decision that they don’t like. Then that decision becomes a “national disgrace”. And it’s hard to take a group like that seriously when they ask the Stephen Harper government to free Latimer, as if there was even a remote chance that the Conservatives would do that. What should be required is truth in advertising and the group’s name should be changed to Some Canadians Civil Liberties Association; obviously they have absolutely no concern about the civil liberties of little Tracy Latimer and other severely disabled people like her. At least there are groups in Canada who do fight for the rights of the disabled.
Latimer is simply a pawn for those who are pushing the agenda that it is perfectly permissible and even desirable to rid society of the likes of Tracy. If Latimer truly does lack insight into his crime, he is getting a lot of outside help in maintaining that viewpoint. He hardly seems like the crusading type; like Ms. Sheehan, he is merely a front for those who feel that the weakest members of society should be disposed of.
Contrary to what even some in the media who should know better think, Robert Latimer is not serving a 10-year sentence; he is doing life and is very likely to die in prison unless he takes responsibility for his actions.
There is one major difference between Latimer and Sheehan; at least Cindy Sheehan never killed anybody.
Robert Latimer was denied day parole earlier this week. The Saskatchewan farmer is serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 10 years for the murder of his 12-year-old daughter, Tracy. Latimer and his wife had trouble caring for Tracy who was severely disabled and so in October 1993 he did what any loving parent would have done. He placed his daughter in the cab of his pickup truck and pumped the cab full of exhaust fumes. Shy and not wanting to have to handle the array of accolades that were sure to be bestowed upon him for his brave act, Latimer put the child’s body in her bed and waited for his wife to return from church to discover the death.
