There is no moat around its unseen borders. No wall offers shelter for the residents inside. There is no obstacle to virus transmissions like COVID-19, and nothing to stop the flow of ideas and attitudes to every corner of the community other than ourselves. There is a joke longtime Beaver County residents tell about looking at trends in big cities and saying, "Well, that is what we have to look forward to in five (or 10) years." Some oldtimers chuckle and add, "More like 20 years." It's an amusing idea for many who are willing to live with the status quo, or maybe have just given up. But it's not so amusing to those living in poverty or suffering through hardships and can't wait years for things to change.