On the Brink of Divorce
Nita Lelyveld hit the nail on the head in “Secession’s Seductive Undertow” (July 21). If she had hit a little harder, blood could have flowed. I don’t think that secession is about taxes or services (though they are dismal). It is about the disdain and condescension that Westsiders feel for Valleyites and the opportunism exhibited by downtowners who take advantage of the Valley.
No marriage can last amid such emotions. Nor, I’m sure, are the mayor’s hysterical ravings conducive to a good relationship. Oddly enough, Valleyites do not really have any feelings about downtowners and Westsiders other than indifference. Of course, it is well-known to those on the receiving end that this is the most devastating of all emotions. If they despise us so much, why don’t they set us free?
Ernest Schroer
Via the Internet
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