In prison by proxy

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by Raluca State

Montreal activist Laura Montes has signed up to go to jail and may be cashing in some much needed vacation time to help a Saskatchewan farmer she has never even met. In January, Robert Latimer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for ending the life of his severely disabled daughter. Now, several outraged Canadians have offered to spend one month in prison as proxies for Latimer. "Those of us supporting the cause see that he did this for his daughter out of compassion," says Elena Montes, Laura's younger sister, who has also joined the fight to help Latimer.

The younger Montes is working on a petition with organizations across the country, asking the Government of Canada to consider granting Latimer executive clemency and let him go home to his family. "Many Canadians don't agree with this sentence, and if we continue bombarding them with concerns from the public, they'll have to open up the debate," Montes says. Montrealers wishing to give their support can sign the online petition at www.ccla.org. People without Internet access can phone Montes at 937-8882 and a copy of the petition will be sent by snail mail. For more information, log on to www.robertlatimer.com.