Dear Bill,
Thank you for your heartfelt concern. With regard to your question on what you might do to help, I cannot presume to speak to the needs of ALL of the people of which we are speaking. I wish it were a simplistic question with a simplistic answer.

Why will one man live simlpy, only concerned with patching the old roof, growing his tomatoes, and that his car has gas in it when he needs to use it, and spend his time content amoung his family and extended family, while another man will not get dirt under his well manicured nails, will work most of each day for a large expensive home he never has a chance to enjoy, and hires someone to care for his children daily, while his wife enjoys the country club?

I wish people could understand that there is no right or wrong here. We all make our choices and live with the consequences. The problem is when after we make our choices, we then seek to ridicule those who may make another choice. Our problem is not simply a red-white problem. In every community, there are people who live differently.
We arae quick to judge, and assume everyone has our same value system. Just because someone may lack material possessions, doesnt imply automatically, that their life is hard and tragic. To believe they have found a better way, an easier way, implies that we have had it ALL WRONG! Most people do not want their belief systems challenged.

Don't pity my people. We are quite durable,(as time has attested to),
and we solve our problems, large and small, in our own way, and in our own time. There is no "quick fix" in our mindset.

People need to have an open mind, and heart. Respect ALL people, and their right to live as they desire without judgement.

We can understand why some of your people choose to live in GATED
communities! It must have been hell living amoung their own people!

There is however something you may do for the good of EVERY person living on and around the mountain......Join the fight to stop the toxic dumping in Ringwood, that potentially effects every HUMAN BEING
in the area. They do not seem to hear OUR voices since the clean up
figures have been tallied........just a thought!

Autumn Wind