The Sun Journal feature Sept. 3, “Stir-crazy,” was biased and emotionally motivated. Paragraphs were devoted to speculation about how Daniel Jackson feels victimized, and crimes like “reckless conduct with a firearm” were barely mentioned. Sentences such as “shortly after this conditional release, Jackson came to Maine where his mother and other family live. The move violated his parole,” are just a confusing way of saying Jackson violated the clear terms of his parole.

Terrorizing, reckless conduct with a firearm, attempted escape, domestic assault, yelling obscenities – I had to dig to find little mentions of those facts. But “refuse to be a part of the circle”, “I write poetry,” “want to be there for my family,” “make it better for our children” – there were many of those touching quotes uttered by an untrustworthy man with little respect for the law of the land or personal responsibility.

We all feel sorry for a victim of mental illness. But Jackson is the perpetrator of crimes aforementioned, not the victim. We shouldn’t just expect that disadvantaged people will act that way. There are many people who are disadvantaged in terms of their mental health, economic status, education or job skills who choose not to acquire a rap sheet of criminal behavior.

Jackson’s story unfairly paints our justice system in a negative light.

Taylor Mesplé, Durham