View of Group Is Skewed

I must respond to the letter from Jackie Thetford (Oct. 30) in which she presented a negative image of the members of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Ventura County.

It was her perception that some laughed out loud at statements made by the prosecution at the trial of Kevin Kolodziej. If that had been true, would not the judge have ordered the individuals removed from the courtroom? I do recall on one day there were gasps of disbelief at the statements presented to discount the presence of a serious mental illness, but that was far from laughter. We found nothing funny about the proceedings.

AMI is a fairly serious group, dedicated to supporting and helping the mentally ill. We have all been touched by mental illness in some way and have all suffered as we have watched our friends or family members suffer from it. I believe this has made us more compassionate to those in pain. We have grieved for the family of Mrs. Johnson; for Kevin’s mother, and yes, for Kevin. He, too, is a sad victim of circumstances. He did not choose to have schizophrenia, a stigmatized disease that is not understood by many, one that is frightening and disabling.

Lastly, never was it said by any of our group that Kevin should not be punished, only that he should be sent to a secure, locked facility where necessary medications and treatment could be administered.

IRENE KING, President, AMI, Thousand Oaks