California Country: It’s a Big, Sweet Dream

Re “Dude, Maybe They’ll Throw In an Awesome Accent,” by Peter Gleick, Commentary, Dec. 29: The country of California? What a good idea. The rest of the U.S. doesn’t like us anyway. We are either invisible or a punch line on David Letterman’s show. Of course, if we incessantly praised ourselves as a certain northeastern city or a southwestern state does, calling ourselves the hub of the universe, etc., maybe we would get more respect. Nevertheless, we’re big and we’re smart. Let’s join the European Union and see if Washington continues to ignore us. No federal tax revenue from California? Deal with it, guys. Want to vacation in the Golden State? Sorry, kids, it’s the Golden Country now. Get a passport. Countryhood for California? That could work.

Florence Stasch

Newport Beach

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Gleick suggests that California should join the EU and lists the advantages and disadvantages. Though he mentions the college and university systems as an advantage, he neglects to mention the pathetic state of California’s public schools. That alone would cause the Europeans to reject the proposal. After all, how may eighth-graders who attend the LAUSD could locate the EU on a map?

Arch Miller

Arcadia