To the editor: Sadly, I couldn’t agree more with columnist Steve Lopez about how divided we are as a country. I have a friend who has predicted that by the end of this century, the United States will be three different countries, or regions, or however that might work.

When I think of what people sacrificed during the Civil War to keep the union together, I’m so sad. On the other hand, I feel so blessed to live in the “nation-state” of California, which we seem to be even though the designation is not official.

I lived for a decade or so in Nashville, and though I returned to California due to unwelcome circumstances, I’m now so very happy that I live back home in my native state, and I will do anything to support it.

Wendy Waldman, Northridge


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To the editor: Lopez embellishes his position by implying that people who desperately need to get back to work are also irresponsibly eager to infect everyone around them. He also peremptorily declares that President Trump is as eager to encourage this careless behavior.

Could it be that the president is more empathetic to the people who need to get back to work to feed their families? Could it be that he is concerned that this virus might cause an irrevocable economic disaster to the entire country?

Keep in mind that the shutdown affects people like Lopez much less than others. Judging by his column, Lopez can sit comfortably at home, drink in hand, as he continues to be paid his salary while writing diatribes against the president. This is unlike workers in the service industry who don’t have this option.


I agree with Lopez, because he’s a perfect illustration of why we’ve become a divided nation.

Giuseppe Mirelli, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Splitting our country into different republics is a good idea, considering the deep divisions between conflicting political factions.


My preference for California would be to join with Oregon and Washington. We could call it the United Pacific Coast.

Of course this will never happen because the other states would have to agree to it. California contributes more revenue to the federal government than it receives in benefits, meaning other states would never sign off on a split.

Greg Bristol, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: I agree with Lopez on his proposal to split up the United States. All I would add is that after the division, we’ll need to build a wall — a big, beautiful wall — and have the Kingdom of Mar-a-Lago pay for it.

Stephen Goldsmith, Sherman Oaks