Ten years ago if you lived in Amador County, California you knew your neighbours and your neighbours knew you. You could leave your doors unlocked and your windows open because the worst thing that could happen was the nighbour getting impatient if you were late and helping him/herself to a cup of coffee before you got there. Should you be that good of friends. There were problems, of course -- but the community would stick together and work to stop them. Should you be a parent concerned with your children's education you could feel assured that your children would get a decent, solid education.Many teachers were the ones who taught you or other family members. If you put in an extra effort, your children would be even better off. Driving was easy and walking longer distances by the road was also relatively safe.This week St Sava's Serbian Orthodox Church -- the first of that branch in North America was robbed. Two original sacred ceremonial vessels were taken. An old widow who lives up the street from me is being tormented every so often by some yobs at night.. When she turns the lights on to see who they are and call the police they run off. (Naturally the police try to accuse me of it, with no evidence and with her and the nighbours stating that I could not and would not have done anything like that.) Cars thefts are on the rise, gangs are moving in, the ilegal drug trade is blossoming, traffic is getting dangerous -- fatalities are fifty percent higher than in the county due north, which has thrice the population. The area has seen pipe boms being left around in churches, in the front yards of the elderly, by city hall...Homicide is going up again, as is rape. This much has changed in 10 years -- most of it in the past 3. Things change fast. This was a place that many people moved to to run away from the dangers of the cities -- to enjoy their golden years or to raise a family. It's safe no longer, nowhere is. But this time the community is too divided to join together and resist.