Synagogue Attacked, Church Burns . . . Has Spiritual Aridity Fed Anti-Religious Outbursts?
By DEXTER DUGGAN The image of southern California as a Mediterranean-style garden spot is, like a Hollywood studio’s false fronts, only what the eye first sees. It’s true the territory looks lush along the temperate narrow band of land that abuts the huge, cooling Pacific Ocean, but go beyond the coastal mountains and there’s a lot of downright aridity. Headed west toward coastal San Diego, Interstate 8 rolls through the California desert, even dropping below sea level near El Centro, before starting a sharp climb of more than 4,000 feet with switchbacks up the mountains. The land no longer is desert but still dry. No ocean in sight yet, but its promise lies ahead. Descending toward the Pacific Coast, Interstate…Continue Reading