Hatfield/McCoy Syndrome

I used to think the attitude problems in our community were a type of class warfare. The haves versus the have nots. What puzzles me is what it is the haves have, other than money, that have nots do not have.

It is an extremely scenic area, the pace is mellow compared to where a lot of newcomers are from. It has great access to outdoor activities, if the entertainment and restaurants aren't high tone enough Spokane is close and Seattle and Portland not all that distant.

But the people. Wow. Especially the minute world of bloggers. They can be animals and I don't mean the partying kind. I've been a long time on Huckleberry's blog roll. I rarely offer comments. I used to participate more often but the rancor has been a put off. So I just do my blog and stay pretty much beneath the radar.

Recently it was brought to my attention the disenchanted have shifted loyalties to the Coeur d'Alene Press. I was told they were taking after one of my friends so I decided to check it out. Whew. Not nice.

We're just local bloggers, folks! I've been trying to decide why the degree of nastiness seems to be escalating rather than diminishing. This used to be fun but it is rapidly turning into a real "us against them" feud!

I decided to look more deeply to sort this out. My findings indicate that at least one side of this feud may be diseased. Probably the locals since it is an inherited one. It is called Von Hippel-Lindau disease. The symptoms include a hair trigger rage and violent outbursts. It can cause high blood pressure, racing hearts, severe headaches, too much adrenaline and other "fight or flight" hormonal reactions.

It is the disease attributed to the McCoy side of the Hatfield McCoy feud, one of the longest running feuds in our country's history. Have we become Appalachia West? It would seem some local bloggers are giving life to the possibility.