Disney Community

* Re “A Disney You Can Go Home To,” Sept. 27:

I found this to be one of the most frightening articles that I have read. I know that planned communities have existed for years. I have even lived in one, but to read about a town built by Disney to try to create an “as close to perfect as possible” community leaves me a little nervous. Disney says that it will have a hands-off approach, but this does not mean that we are not heading toward communities where people are willing to give up freedom to feel safe. It seems to me that people are just running from something that can find you anywhere: fear.

It is not too difficult to get to know your neighbors. You just have to go knock on the door. It is not too difficult to become involved with your children’s school. You just have to participate. The world is not unsalvageable. We choose to be apathetic and Disney building a planned community is not going to save us from ourselves. People are free to live where they choose, but to move to such communities does not diminish our responsibilities or change that we, as a society, have locked each other out.

The world is our making. It did not get this way without our help.

AMY OKUDA

Los Angeles