>Unfortunately, it became a "mere" tragedy that I fear will wind up doing far less to solve the problems he wanted to than if he'd stuck it out.
This reads as victim blaming to me, perhaps you didn't intend it such but the rest of your comment also sounds like whitewashing to me:
"friends do time...wasn't horrible" thanks for your anecdote, most people find being stripped of their freedom and locked in a box horrible.
"no doubt the prosecutor was overzealous...but..Swartz...ham-fisted and a bit unhinged", way to make light of Swartz's mental condition and suicide.
"actually guilty...however absurd..it's law", so the law is always right no mater how absurd? How grotesque.
"six-month term would have been the best thing that could have happened to his cause", how about you volunteer to be a felon then?