Please remember not to label people by their mental illnesses.
Last month, the Victoria Times Colonist published several articles about a man who was murdered, and every time the victim was mentioned, he was referred to along these lines: "John Doe, a paranoid schizophrenic, was found..."
Despite careful reading, I could see no reason why this victim was defined by his illness.
When I read newspapers, I do not see referrals to John Doe, the diabetic, or John Doe, the Catholic.
Unless there was a crime committed due to a perceived need for insulin or confession that had a bearing on the commission of the crime, I see no need to identify a person by his or her illness.
Whether somebody is bipolar, suffers from migraines, or has a broken finger, that is only a part of that person.
People who cope with an unwished-for a mental illness have enough to deal with, so it would be great if we could remember that they are much, much more than an illness or a disability.
Michelle VanNice Jensen,
Port Alberni
