Editor:
I would hazard a guess that people who happen to live in Fern Valley or Pine Cove sometimes eat out in the town of Idyllwild, have a drink in Idyllwild, shop for food in Idyllwild, do business in Idyllwild, use the library in Idyllwild and/or just pick up their mail in Idyllwild. Are these people then unaffected by the politics and policies of Idyllwild Water District?
It seems to me that we are one community in the San Jacinto Mountains — Idyllwild/Fern Valley/Pine Cove — a small one. We share the same zip code, the same natural environment of trees, land, air and water. And yet it appears that fiefdoms have been created that are being defended.
Unfortunately, we’re showing ourselves to be very much a microcosm of today’s world; we’re exhibiting the “them vs. us” syndrome playing out so vividly on the world’s stage.
There must be some way to consolidate that would be advantageous and benefit everyone in the long run. No doubt there would be growing pains as we all made adjustments.
We have an opportunity to look to the future and to set an example for our children, our children’s children and future generations.
As long as we maintain a “them vs. us” mentality, we will never improve this community and we will continue to keep the status quo, which gets us nothing but hostility, separation and stagnation.
“It” doesn’t have to be broke to want to fix it. It can be improved, brought into relevancy and administered the proper care.
When will we realize that compassion will get us to where we all want to be — in a society of fair-minded, caring people who help one another, who don’t need to wait for a disaster to strike in order to work together for the common good? United we stand. Divided we fall. Perhaps we can help improve the world stage community by community.
Emily Roossien
Idyllwild
