Maybe there is a small ray of hope in our increasingly polarized country. For once I completely agreed with Mr. Gitlin’s column in last week’s paper.It’s a safe bet he and I are polar opposites regarding politics, religion, social and environmental issues, etc. However, it was refreshing to read that someone on the extreme right, in my opinion, has the same love and appreciation for our beautiful North Coast.Like Mr. Gitlin, I am from a different part of California but now consider the North Coast home. Walking my dog on a beach next to the Pacific Ocean, the majestic Redwoods, the many rivers, the weather, the wildlife like whales, otters, elk, and many bird species, makes this area a paradise for me.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');So Mr. Gitlin and I have some common ground. I love this place too.Rick McNamerSmith River googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });