Editor:

As we enter the last month before elections, I worry about the culture wars: a term new to me in the few years, describing the exaggerated reactions to exaggerated differences in people's ideals and beliefs, mirroring the rise of marketing media, which feeds us virtual over real, competition over cooperation, emotion over reason, hostility over kindness, greed over generosity — and seems designed to be divisive and benefit short-term gains over long-term good.

As culture wars and real wars rage in the larger world, and personal interactions continue limited by the pandemic and social media, I hope we in Humboldt County can participate in local politics without losing our care for each other as real people with complex blends of strengths and weaknesses, that we will try to understand each other, prioritize our commonalities and do our best to maintain respect for our differences. 

Joyce King, McKinleyville