Not All Families Are Envying the Joneses

Regarding “Staying Well Ahead of the Joneses” (May 7), either your slant was terribly biased or we really are a nation of overindulgent gluttons.

Chalk my family and me up as members of the opposition, folks who see no need to impress anybody with piles of electronic clutter, grossly oversized gas-guzzlers or corporate-billboard fashion statements. Neither are we members of your token-mentioned “down-shifters,” a group you suggest are extremists on the other end (“people who buy organic groceries in recycled bags”).

Yes, there really are plenty of us regular folks who value loved ones and friends, a roof over our heads and enough to eat, along with a more spiritual take on life.

More than angry, I am deeply saddened by your article.

PETER HANSEN

Palm Springs