Secession and Democracy

In a recent commentary, Bob Scott (“Secession Is City’s Only Hope,” Commentary, Nov. 11) argues that we should support Valley secession because it is a central tenet of American democracy to support self-determination and local control. While self-determination and local control are important, democracy cannot work unless people are joined together as a unified community committed to helping each other out for the greater good.

I fear that the drive for secession is more about various sections of the Valley skirting their responsibility toward helping the less fortunate and disadvantaged sections of Los Angeles than about local control. The Civil War was fought over these types of issues. Let us not repeat this mistake for Los Angeles.

STEWART CHESLER, North Hollywood