Eric Jackson is Obsessed - Part 1

I know most of you don't care about this stuff, and in order to help you filter and ignore the things you don't care about I'm going to title these short articles "Eric Jackson is Obsessed" so you can spot them from a distance and just blow right by. Here's what's going on. Eric Jackson manages a website called The Panama News. He recently commented on this article that I published about David Sherman who was found unconscious behind a boat shed in Diablo, and tried to spin it as if I was trying to violate Mr. Sherman's rights; "But meanwhile Don Winner went to the hospital and got Sherman's medical information from one of the doctors and published it." To be clear - I routinely visit members of the English speaking expatriate community who are in some kind of trouble or in the hospital. Like, the guy who what shot while buying a cell phone on Via Veneto, Michael McEvoy, who had a stroke while visiting Panama and could not afford a medical evacuation to the US. I find Mr. Jackson's continued attempts to smear my good name at any cost to be exceptionally offensive. (more)

I Heard About David Sherman: His close friends and coworkers contacted me because they were concerned about him. Some of them were working in a vacuum of information and were wondering what was going on, and were concerned about Mr. Sherman. So I took the time to go to the Santo Tomas hospital to visit him. There I met a private investigator who is working for Mr. Sherman's son who is working on the case. We exchanged information, and it turns out that I had some information that the private investigator had not yet encountered. Even though it was outside of visiting hours the doctor on duty allowed me to visit with Mr. Sherman quickly to get an idea of how he was doing. He reacted to our presence, moved his fingers, and seemed to be somewhat responsive. It looks to me like he will make a full recovery, but of course there is always a concern about brain damage. Once the breathing tube is removed then a lot of questions will be answered.

Unanswered Questions: I then met the private investigator at the Diablo boat sheds and we talked to the people who discovered Mr. Sherman behind the boat shed and contacted police. There we found what could eventually turn out to be evidence, a blood-soaked handkerchief apparently used by the victim, Mr. Sherman.

Face To Face: If you want to know what's going on, you have to get out and about, to see the people involved face-to-face, and actually learn something about the situation. I've lost count of how many times I've gone to places no one else will go, such as to visit Billy Cook, the guy from New Zealand who was busted trying to smuggle cocaine through Tocumen. I was able to get him moved from La Joyita to the El Renacer facility as an act of humanitarian concern. Sure, he confessed to trying to smuggle drugs, but the system in Panama is based on the expectation that inmates will have some kind of outside support from family members. Billy Cook had none of that, and the closest consulate from New Zealand is in Mexico City. So, he was moved based on that lack of support, thanks to a letter from me and a decision by Carlos Landero.

Losing Count: I've visited members of the English speaking expatriate community who are in trouble in the holding cell in immigration, at La Joya, La Joyita, the Renacer prison, the holding cells in the PTJ, and the Women's Prison. I've visited them in the hospital at Punta Pacifica, the National Hospital, and Santo Tomas. I've gone out of my way to find out what was going on in these cases out of a concern for their safely and welfare and to see if I could help.

Looking For A Crack: Eric Jackson has spent so much time trying to smear my good name that he has lost whatever little grain of objectivity he ever had. I find it absolutely reprehensible that he should have the balls to criticise me after apparently making one phone call to the spokesman for the US embassy and listening to some rumors and gossip. He has no problem publishing unconfirmed rumors about potentially serious criminal activity, and focuses on me.

Get A Life: I've given Mr. Jackson this advice on several occasions - tend to your own concerns and leave me alone. He has demonstrated, time and time again, that he is simply incapable of doing that as a result of a medical condition. He is apparently obsessed with me, and I really wish he would just leave me alone. And since he can't, if falls on me to occasionally remind people of what real problem:

It's Easy to See: Eric Jackson of The Panama News (Brown Line) is obsessed with the butt-kicking he's getting from the Panama-Guide.com. My advice to him (for years) is that he should ignore me and concentrate more on his own business. But he has demonstrated time and time again that he is simply incapable. Anyway, when you see this kind of stuff from him, simply consider the source and move on. Salud.

Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. As usual, go ahead and use whatever you want as long as you credit the source. Salud.