Copyright 1999 The Denver Post Corporation
The
Denver Post
June 15, 1999 Tuesday 2D EDITION
SECTION: DENVER & THE WEST; Pg. B-10
LENGTH: 1119 words
HEADLINE:
LETTERS, FAXES & E-MAIL
BODY:
DEFINING THE 'ILLNESS'
There has been a recent move to
include mandatory mental illness coverage in
all health-care plans. As a mental health
professional, I am enthused but also concerned about this issue. The crux of the
problem lies in how one defines "illness," or "mental illness" for that matter.
Which of the following would qualify as mental illnesses?
A child who
seems to have more energy than he can manage. A child who seems to act on
impulse.
A very moody person.
A child who steals.
A
person who has had a prolonged sadness.
It is difficult to determine a
"mental illness" from an emotional or behavioral problem. The classification of
all emotional and behavioral problems as mental illnesses would likely consume
enormous amounts of health-care dollars at a time when such dollars are few and
far between.
Unlike many physical ailments, behavioral and emotional
problems often do not respond favorably to short treatment courses and often are
manifested in one form or another throughout one's life. It is important that
these and other questions be debated and answered before we all jump on the
bandwagon on this issue. KIRK STOBBE Aurora TIPPER'S REVELATION Re:
"De-stigmatizing mental illness," Carl Rowan column, June 10.
After
reading Rowan's column regarding the stigma of mental illness and Tipper Gore's
courage in bringing this disease out of the closet, I felt the column was not
finished. Why did Tipper not reveal her depression when the Democratic Party
chose Bill Clinton, with Al Gore as his running mate, as its candidate for
president in 1992? Was she ordered to keep mum or was she hiding in a closet?
The most courageous action of a mentally ill person is to admit it to
themselves first and seek help.
President Clinton watched admiringly on
national news while Tipper, a seemingly healthy woman, became the advocate for
the mentally ill. Sorry, but you don't just pop out of the closet and take the
lead.
It is obvious that Tipper's revelation is a pre-emptive strike.
Anticipating the possibility of her mental illness being an embarrassment for Al
Gore and a hindrance to his election for president, Tipper can turn this
potentially harmful skeleton into the disease du jour, a cause celebre.
I am a disabled Navy veteran, partially due to severe depression. But I
would prefer Mike Wallace as my advocate rather than Tipper. His sincerity was
far more palpable than hers. BARBARA A. MASONHEIMER Aurora
BETTER DESIGN
Re: "Danger in the streets," editorial, June 8.
The Post has avoided discussion of some of the causes of the dangers
that are identified. Unfortunately, the county and municipal engineers do not
sufficiently police the "efforts" of the local developers. New commercial
development is completed without sidewalks and bike lanes. Parking lots seem to
be designed to become driving free-for-alls. With the engineers prioritizing the
inclusion of every conceivable turn lane and the tiniest of aprons impeding the
black-top, bicyclists and pedestrians are made to feel like prey.
The
inevitable accidents that were identified seem largely preventable if developers
were held to a common standard of sense and decency. BRAD LAM Littleton
RATE DRIVING SKILLS I am grateful for the editorial that highlights the
community concern for our children who may be playing in the streets where
others are driving their vehicles.
There are many neighborhoods, like
Baker, where children play in their yard or in the street. My neighborhood is
one place where that happens. We worry about our children, and we are glad that
The Post cares, too.
I have just one concern: the statistics. What are
the number of children who have been hit by a vehicle in their neighborhood? Do
the driving skills of Denver area drivers rate poor or good in our
neighborhoods? How do these two statistics relate to the statistics used in the
editorial? DUDLEY PACE Littleton PRAIRIE DOG WOES
I always
read with interest articles on prairie dogs (the cute little critters).
Unfortunately they usually make me so mad I have to cool off before attempting
to write a letter.
I am a rancher and live about 40 miles east of
Denver. Part of the job, while trying to produce healthy beef for the public, is
dealing with weather, depressed markets and trying to keep costs in line.
Unfortunately, other factors - like prairie dogs - cost us thousands of dollars.
Last year we lost our best bull (more than $ 10,000) to a prairie-dog hole. In
addition, each prairie-dog hole can house up to 17 animals, and they eat enough
grass to feed several cows. Once they have stripped the grass, noxious weeds
start growing. So far this year we have spent $ 331 just trying to control these
weeds.
It is time people realize these prairie rats (they are rodents,
not dogs) carry diseases (how many children have been killed by the plague?),
live with rattle snakes, cause suffering to other animals, and cost farmers and
ranchers millions of dollars - and man hours.
They may be cute to some
people, they are not endangered (multiply like the rats they are), and serve no
good purpose whatsoever. GLEN S. STEVENS Byers A COMPLETELY
SATISFIED HMO MEMBER
Re: "Insurers: health-care parasites," Colorado
Voices column, June 4.
After reading the article, I share Omar Jabara's
wife's pain in the neck. I am a completely satisfied HMO member and know for
sure that if anyone at my HMO asked, "Who can we sue," they would be fired
instantly. I don't believe it happens in any major insurance company.
Why doesn't Jabara name the insurance company so it can defend itself
instead of lumping all into his "Parasite" bin. To also make a simplistic
statement about all Canadians loving their health-care system is ridiculous.
There are huge problems too numerous to mention here that compound when you add
200 million more people to it.
And to say it's a "simple fact that our
health-insurance system stinks worse than a 3-foot pile of tapeworms" is beyond
journalistic stupidity. I suggest he moves to Canada where his wife will get
cured and he can practice his writing. DAVE CRESSMAN Highlands Ranch
WILL MISS TORME
The Velvet Fog has lifted. Thank you, Mel Torme,
for the sunshine you brought to the lives of so many! DORIS BOHLING
Evergreen TOO MUCH POLLUTION I am concerned about too
much pollution in the air because some people do not carpool enough and/or ride
a bus.
Did you know Americans drive 1 trillion miles in one year? That
is a lot of carbon dioxide eating our precious ozone layer.
So tell
friends, family and anybody you know to carpool more so the next generation can
have a healthy world to live on. JUSTIN ELLIS, 10 Carbondale
LOAD-DATE: June 16, 1999 
