| |
Letters
Letters to the editor:
The Wisconsin Lawyer publishes as many letters in each issue as space
permits. Please limit letters to 500 words; letters may be edited for length
and clarity. Letters should address the issues, and not be a personal attack
on others. Letters endorsing political candidates cannot be accepted. Please mail letters to "Letters to the Editor," Wisconsin Lawyer, P.O. Box 7158,
Madison, WI 53707-7158, fax them to (608) 257-4343, or email them to wislawyer@wisbar.org.
Depression article touches
readers
The response to my "Brainstorm" article in the December issue detailing
my experience with depression has been overwhelming. I have received more
than 60 written notes as well as many calls and personal comments. The
notes have come from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, Arizona,
New Mexico, Louisiana, New York, California, and Wisconsin.
They have
come from a supreme court justice, judges, lawyers in the largest firms
in the state, small firm lawyers, solo practitioners, Board of Governors
members, Department of Justice lawyers, government lawyers, elected state
public officials, federal bureaucrats, State Bar staff, presidents of
two other state bar associations, and former Wisconsin Bar presidents.
There have been several requests for permission to reproduce it in other
publications.
Several themes appear consistently in these messages. The writers thank
me for having written the essay, they thank the Wisconsin Lawyer for publishing
it, and they relate their own struggles, or those of close family members,
with depression or other mood disorders.
Typical comments were: "I want to commend you for having the courage
to publish this." (The word "courage" appeared in more than half of the
messages.) "I understand your struggle." "As a government lawyer, the
magazine usually does not hold much of interest to me but your article
was a breath of fresh air." "The bar needs to do more to foster an understanding
of depression."
One comment in particular was quite different. "I was struck by the
incredible naivete of your article. This is a cruel, dog-eat-dog world.
Do you really think there will not be repercussions?" I can honestly assure
you that I am not aware of any negative repercussions for the publication
of this article or from my openness about my condition. To the contrary,
the understanding, hope, and support that I receive have been wonderful.
There have been repercussions from how I acted while my depression was
un-diagnosed and untreated. That is under-standable because my behavior
was self-defeating, paranoid, and totally baffling to others. Since I
acknowledged the problem and accepted treatment, the response of others
has been totally positive.
There probably are some readers who will think less of me after reading
the article, but they are not the ones who contact me. Some truly believe
that matters such as this should remain private and there is no point
in a public discussion or confession. I knew that in advance, and several
trusted advisors cautioned me to think carefully and proceed cautiously.
I appreciated their concerns but in the final analysis decided to do it
my way. I would do the same thing again. It has been a great experience
for me. Thank you to the Wisconsin Lawyer for publishing it.
In closing, I want to take this opportunity to correct an inadvertent
impression I may have created for some. I made the point that depression
is not a sign of moral weakness, bad genes, or a troubled childhood. It
is the product of a chemical imbalance that can be corrected. One member
wrote to me challenging my point that drug therapy is the treatment of
choice. I did not mean that. For years, I successfully controlled my condition
with vigorous exercise. I was a daily runner and marathoner. Running worked
for me until my arthritic knees sent me a strong message that it was time
to quit. That is when my depression overwhelmed me. I am not a drug proponent
for everyone. There are many different approaches. Medication is the one
that is working for me now. The ultimate form of treatment is not important.
That's between doctor and patient. What is important is an admission that
there is a problem and a proactive process of seeking help.
Because most of the responses to me were of a personal nature, not the
kind that would be sent as a letter to the editor, the Wisconsin Lawyer
staff probably have not received the positive feedback that I have. I
wanted you to know that your decision to publish my article was a great
service to the profession. I do believe that there is a hunger for more
lifestyle articles.
Gary Bakke, State Bar President
New Richmond,
or P.O. Box 7158, Madison, WI 53707-7158.
Lemon law statute renumbered
Steve Nicks' lemon law updates are always very useful. The latest update,
in the November 2000 Wisconsin Lawyer, omitted one important development.
The Wisconsin lemon law used to be in Wis. Stat. section 218.015. It recently
was renumbered as Wis. Stat. section 218.0171, effective April 19, 2000
(1999 Wis. Act 31, section 287).
Charles M. Kernats
Wisconsin Department
of Transportation
|
