Letters - Thursday

A TIME TO HEAL

Today’s the day for depression screenings

Dr. Paul Greengard, 2000 Nobel Laureate in Medicine made this startling statement last year as part of a national awareness campaign on clinical depression: “Every year, without any treatment at all, thousands stop suffering from depression. Because it kills them.” Two-thirds of those who take their own lives suffer from a mood disorder. According to The Gazette, in 2006, 69 people in El Paso County committed suicide (“Fighting suicide / High schooler’s death affirms importance of prevention efforts,” Sept. 27). However, statistics describe only part of the hideous impact depression has on individuals and society.

Having major depression is like being stuck in an elevator, where no matter how many times you push the “up” button, your brain pumps overwhelming sadness into your nervous system, and you descend into state of emotional pain that is virtually impossible to describe unless you’ve been there. You’re trapped by feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, sleep disorders, loss of energy, rage and loneliness. Untreated depression destroys marriages, families, careers and dreams.

Of all forms of mental illness, depression is the most common. It is also the most responsive to treatment. There is no cure for this disease, but if detected early and properly treated, 80 percent of patients can recover to live happier, more productive lives.

Today is National Depression Screening Day. At thousands of sites across the country, community volunteers and health care professionals will offer free, confidential depression screenings to the public. There will be two such sites here in Colorado Springs. If you or a loved one suspect you may have a mood disorder, I urge you to get educated and get help. For more information, please visit our Web site, www.dbsacoloradosprings.org. We’ve been there. We can help.

Steve Bell

President

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Colorado Springs

PIÑON CANYON

Property owners won’t quit in fight to save land

Contrary to the opinion expressed in “Kicking a dead heifer,” the ranchers and rural community members of southeastern Colorado respect and support our troops; always have, always will (Our View, Oct. 4).

Our most recent Freedom of Information Act request seeks to know the mechanisms and expenditures employed by the Pentagon and the Army. The Pentagon, Army and Colorado’s U.S. senators have repeatedly said that there are not only willing sellers, but that there are so many, the expansion can be done without the use of eminent domain. We want to understand how they determined that. Our land and lives are at stake.

Other questions that arise include: Why should the Pentagon be allowed to spread these rumors in the media but not disclose the basis for their claims in public? Just how far down the path of expansion have they really gone?

The editorial ended by asking, “Don’t the cows need tending?” As generational family ranchers and rural residents, we have flourished for the past 100-plus years by being responsible and taking on any and every problem or issue that threatens our land, livelihoods, communities and heritage. We stand up, lean into and shoulder responsibility whether we are faced with severe weather or an ill-conceived, fiscally irresponsible plan to take away all that we stand for and what’s truly best for our country. We do all this while continuing to make it a priority to tend to the cows.

Lon Robertson

Kim

STREET SAVVY

Housing, employment trends will lower need for new roads

I can’t tell from The Gazette’s Oct. 5 article, “Roads need $2.5 billion more yearly, panel says,” whether the experts took into consideration two trends affecting the traffic projections for 2035: people wanting to live closer to where they work, eat and play; and people doing more business through cyberspace.

Our urban area is growing at a good pace, a sign of good economic health. But this does not necessarily imply longer driving times for everyone, as the report’s driving times to downtown suggest. By 2035, it is likely that most people will hardly ever drive to downtown. Indeed, most people probably don’t go there very often now.

A more significant driving time to project would be the time from dwelling to work place, dwelling to shops, dwelling to children’s activity places, etc. For those living in the redeveloped downtown area, that might be only five minutes, or maybe a 10-minute walk.

Yes, let’s be sure the developers include sidewalks, and the city keeps adding bike lanes. And let the state or the city facilitate the use of cyberspace commuting by operating wireless Internet access in at least the urban areas. The cost of this service per year should be easily offset by not having to build one of those $2.5 billionworth of new roads per year.

James E. Strub

Colorado Springs

PLAYING GAMES

Churches stoop to new lows to bring in new converts

How appalling that Christian churches will go to any lengths to recruit teenagers with violent video games (“Thou shalt not kill — except in a video game at church?” The Gazette, Oct. 7). What kind of Christ do they think they’re selling? Certainly not the Christ of the Gospels — the prince of peace, the compassionate one, the suffering servant, Christ the healer, the one who said to love our enemies.

How very tragic that they are selling a gospel of division and hatred so they can bring in teenagers at any cost. Perhaps these churches that claim to know their Bible so well, need to read it a bit more closely.

Linda Seger, Th.D.

Cascade