Californians and the Insecurity of Place
I meet a few Californians a month complaining that they are being blamed for the destruction of Idaho and other states. I have rarely ever encountered any animosity toward myself directly from people in Idaho for being an outsider and whenever it has happened, it was understandable and very mild in character. This observation is considering that I am visibly darker in complexion, especially in the summer. Essentially, they were people who have lived here their entire lives who were complaining, rightly in some respects though ignoring other larger structural issues, that their housing prices have exploded because of high demand and out-of-state buyers who pay over asking price. It happened again yesterday, that I took a Lyft, and someone was complaining about Idahoans making them feel like they have done something wrong, without any specifics. Unless one experiences something directly, it is prudent to not allow the perception of a behavior gleaned from rumor to color one's vision....