Frankly, I think the idea that Tracy Latimer and Robert Latimer "are both oppressed" or "suffered together" is ludicrous (as I have mentioned before). The fact that Robert Latimer was here father does not mean that he necessarily mean he acted in her best interests. Women in Islamic countries are stoned to death by their own relatives. Homosexual children have been killed by homophobic parents. I have even heard of white supremecists parents adopting non-white kids and killing them. Need I not mention that the family is the nucleus of women, youth and gay oppression. Tracy Latimer was a youth, meaning she was oppressed by the family.
There is also a big long history of parents killing their children for their disability. There is also a big long history of the murderers of the disabled getting light sentences (see. http://thiswayoflife.org/murder.html, http://www.phen.ab.ca/materials/het/het12-01c.asp, http://www.ragged-edge-mag.com/drn/latimer0402.html, http://enablelink.ca/include/article.php?aid=1024&cid=&pid=&subid=%20). Robert Latimer admitted in court that he planned to murder Tracy twelve days in advance (see. http://dawn.thot.net/Tracy_Latimer.html). Under Canadian law premeditated murder should count as first-degree murder (see. http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/C-46//20080505/en?command=HOME&caller=SI&fragment=First%20Degree%20Murder&search_type=all&day=5&month=5&year=2008&search_domain=cs&showall=L&statuteyear=all&lengthannual=50&length=50). Robert Latimer got convicted of second-degree murder.
As for whether the killing of Tracy Latimer was meant to terrorize the oppressed. Even if it weren't the intent of Robert Latimer that is the affect. It has served to terrorized the disabled community and almost all in that community fear that it will lead to more killing. According to Dick Sobsey, Head of the JP Das Centre for Developmental Disabilities at the University Alberta, the killing of Tracy Latimer and sympathy for Robert Latimer has lead to an increase in the murdering of disabled (see. http://www.phen.ab.ca/materials/het/het12-01c.asp, http://www.ragged-edge-mag.com/drn/latimer0402.html).
I have gotten back from a couple individual cadre from the Trotskyist League (Canadian section of the International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist)) on the Tracy Latimer issue. The impression I got was the party supports Robert Latimer. This, I believe, is a serious betrayel of what the party stands for. The vanguard, I believe, and I think you can agree is meant to defend ALL oppressed people. Defending oppressed people requires making the distinction between the oppressed and the bigots, rednecks and fascistic yahoos who killed oppressed people. I strongly believe, that if you defend Robert Latimer that you are not making this distinction.
PLEASE COME TO YOUR SENSES.
Comradely,
M.G.
Some more information on the Disability Question:
http://amanda.autistics.org/ Amanda Baggs Autism Non-Site
http://web.syr.edu/~jisincla/ Jim Sinclair's Website
http://www.autistics.org/library/ Autism Information Library at Autistics.org
http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/mediacircus/leland.html The Sub-Human Life
http://www.chicagoreader.com/movies/archives/2004/0404/040904.html Euthanasia Made Easy
http://www.gopetition.com/online/1390.html Boycott the Movie "The United States of Leland"
1 comment:
Finally, somebody on the Left speaking out against this travesty. I'm so sick of self-described progressives making excuses for people who murder disabled children. What a bunch of hypocrites.
Do you know if the coroner ever checked to see if Tracy was pregnant when he did his autopsy? Girls a lot younger and smaller have given birth. I've always been suspicious of Latimer's explanation. And to think that some feminists actually support him. Sickening.
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