Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 29, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Brian Cole 6977044 focus Winnipeg free press Al 4 4 july 1997 f i i mercy in a recent free press article titled apply Law to All Elizabeth a member of the Manitoba league of persons with responded to an article of mine about the mercy killing Case of Robert in calling me an editorial alchemist she argues that i was not justified in the claim that the killing of Tracy Latimer was a mercy As the old saying about editorial alchemists it takes one to know i say that for the following reasons she applies her own Defini Tion of mercy killing to exclude the Latimer Case from its Accord ing to the term is restricted to a mentally competent person who is terminally whose pain cannot be and who begs for since 12yearold Tracy Latimer had the mind of a thereto Fourmont old baby and was not terminally her death cannot therefore qualify As a mercy this argument is a deft application of smoke and befitting a True but As such it be fogs and confuses her scenario refers to the Euthana Sia debate whether parliament should allow a physician to inject lethal drugs at the Behest of a dying and suffering in its of life and the special Senate committee on euthanasia and assisted suicide recommended against the legalization of both euthanasia and assisted suicide the patient commit Ting suicide with drugs provided by the in a unanimous the nine member com Mittee had the Latimer Case in mind when it also urged parliament to allow a defence to an accused who kills out of whether or not the deceased had asked to smoke and mirrors As the comm Trefet such a defence would hot be called for if there were no mandatory minimum sentence for Latimer received the minimum sentence when convicted of second degree murder life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 10 in the committees an accused who kills a grievously suffering person out of compassion should not be bound by the same sentencing provisions that apply to those who kill from base motives such As and the mercy killer would still be convicted of but the Point is that the trial judge should have the same discretion in sentencing a mercy killer As applies to crimes other than sentence any where from the maximum prison sen tence allowed by statute to no imprisonment at to i self evident that Semkiw would oppose such an but still she did not address that leaving aside her Defini Tion of mercy Semkiw misconstrues the facts when she insists that Tracy Latimer was not suffering when her father killed she refers to photographs that attest to something More along the lines of Contentment and and she further claims that tracks fam and helpers referred to tracks happiness and but not to any expression of Semkiw is no doubt referring to a photo depicting a smiling Tracy curled up on her fathers that photo has appeared innumerable times in the television and print Media and not surprisingly accompanied my initial1 article and her response and this article As the picture was taken about three years before tracks death and thus has no bearing on her condition during the final years of her in that Latimer testified that she found the photo particularly poignant because Tracy had not smiled for at least a year before her Latimer also described in Stark detail the pain and suffering that Tracy endured Over the last year of her according to the surgery scheduled for Tracy was going to alleviate her As her paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Testi it would have to be followed by More and More and even then the pain was Likely to Latimer also testified to the Devotion and Loving care that her Hus band had Given Tracy throughout her the fact that the Crown attorney did not Challenge her evidence heightens its he asked her not one and Given the Zeal with which he prosecuted the one can assume that he would have sought to discredit her testimony if he had any basis for doing As i explained in my previous Arti i do not condone the killing of Tracy Latimer by her but the question remains should the Law continue to treat mercy killers no differently from murderers who Are prompted to kill by animosity for the victim when a Loving father is driven by despair and hopelessness to asphyxia ate his daughter because he can see no other Way to alleviate her pain and should the Law make no allowance for the circumstances that impelled him to the act i would say and so has the special sen ate committee on euthanasia and assisted Barney Sneiderman Winnipeg Tracy with father had mind of an the perils of Success in a recently published interview with your Magazine the newly appointed publisher of the Beaver Laird informed free press readers that i have taken Early retirement As Edi Tor of the this is not the the letter i was handed on the morn ing after the july Board meeting of Canadas National history publishers of the used the word translated into Plain that Means that i was the fact that the letter of Termi nation was presented Over Cooling cof fee at the velvet Glove restaurant May or May not be no reason for my dismissal was although friends have suggested i was fired for allowing the circulation of the Beaver to creep up from fewer than paid subscribers to More than and for enjoying a subscription renewal rate of close to 80 per described by one society Board a former publisher of saturday As a renewal rate that most Canadian magazines would kill an added curiosity is the fact that i have been offered the Post dismissal title of editor shot at the memorial statue unveiled in the Market Square by the executioner at Christopher Dafoe Winnipeg build wave Pool at the Forks Winni Eggers including planners have been considering ideas to enhance the Forks As a recreational and tourist Here is one i think will serve us the construction of a recreational wave Pool i win the support of Many such successful Sites Are found in Edmonton and Calgary and Are enjoyed year round by such facilities include Small water hanging a Large diving a Large Cen trial wave Pool with a Beac like set a Childs wading area and a food a wonderful Day at a Manitoba Beach in Winter and without the concern of Sun exposure such a facility would provide win Ter weary Manitoban with a inexpensive recreational area through our cold months and would be a splendid tourist we could go South easily and keep our dollars in its an idea needed and Long overdue in our great we truly need such a and other Manitoban do it ties in with Winnipeg needs and with the concept that the Forks is a recreational and meeting such a Facil Ity can be useful and fun All year round Linda Snell Winnipeg How to reach us the free press welcomes letters my letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not ail letters May be edited for style and length Short letters Are less Likely to be please address letters to letters to Toje Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can Besent to our fax number letters maybe submitted through he internet at . Letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone pay for games although i was never and my fellow citizens appear to be painfully paying through the nose for the Panama games who will be at All the Par ties and venues on a is spend ing at least million of our Money for the who will also be at the parties and venues on a vip is spending million of our Money for the and our whole City members of which will All have Yip is spending million of our plus the monies going for a baseball i and my fellow citizens Are also expected to spend up to million to buy tickets arid million for As Long As the outdoor weather is the corporate Community is expected to cough up million in Market ing which they must recoup through markups on purchases i and my fellow citizens Are being encouraged to showing support for the games i never asked for in the first now the Panama headed by needs at least Mil lion More of my i guess if we close Down a Bunch of streets close the convention shut Down Assiniboine Park and and eliminate Nipes could have either Section not Bath could find the Noney without raising our even million to be saved by not giving our Money to Mckenzie total budget has now ballooned to and were still two years he says Hes get Ting frustrated waiting for More of our dollars to be used for current Short so Are the of Tacij victims through out Manitoba who dont have humanity and essential services Perry Winnipeg wave Pool like this one at the West Edmonton mall would be big Forks Reader article discredits Man himself work by others i wish to Correct an error made on Page d5 of the july Winnipeg free which announces the appointment of Dave Lyon As chair Man of track and Field for the 1999 pan american the article states that Lyon is experienced in that a position he held in the 1967 which is incorrect and inadvertently discredits the Many weeks and months of dedicated work performed by the actual co chair men Bill Mcwilliams and Doug to make the track and Field events a Success during the 1967 in i would like to congratulate Lyon on his appointment As chairman for the track and Field and wish him and the 1999 games great Douglas Gudmandsen meet director track Field Road racing and walking events 1967 pan american games biggest nuisance crackles my Down dead at Complex in free july i was disturbed and shocked to learn from the provinces natural resources department that these Birds May have been legally poisoned by a professional i was equally amazed at the quote poisoning of Grackles is relatively common because Many people regard them As scavengers and allowing killing of Birds or animals because someone considers them a nuisance is bizarre and All Birds add Beauty to our environment while people Are Busy mucking it up with garbage and All manner of at this All we will be left with is the biggest nuisance to the Environ ment of All Man Sharon Leschuk Winnipeg country fest Good news Story i was disappointed to read the Story country fest one big july its unfortunate your reporter went no further than one Campground to get her while there Are those people who attend country fest simply to the majority of people and they Are of All Ages Are there to enjoy the music and perhaps meet both old and new apart from country fest is a major event in the Community of Dauphin goes far beyond one the benefits of country fest linger year round in this Community and had an Impact on the towns last for the Organiza Tion donated to the Parkland recreation Complex and purchased a significant share of town of Dauphin in each year the country music festival gives Community groups the Opportunity to work at the event to raise funds for their Orga for some it is the Only fundraising project they All besides the to Quality entertainment which performs Over a three Day is the Story people deserve to know about dauphins Debbie Austin Dauphin fold win Nate Days we or fire pro game Day we doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Imp Sam ;