[StBernard] Recovery - Rights and wrongs.

[Westley Annis]

Sheila, this is starting to sound like the "chicken or the egg" story.

A great majority, perhaps 80-90 are not being mean spirited just to kick
around in arguments. Like myself, we're either out of town, out of money, or
do NOT want to make rash decisions without support that's been mentioned.
Believe me, if we lived in a trailer, had a second home closer, were younger
to handle heat-related problems, health problems or whatever (and there are
a multitude of issues in the spill area, for example), the percentages would
change. 

They're staying away in numbers, which are telling us something. Making
wrong life-choices could be permanent. Is everyone who made it back to live
again in St. Bernard positive they have made a good/correct choice by doing
so? Hell, if they knew, stock markets and Sylvia Browne would be out of
business. So, in effect, there is a great deal of "risk-taking" by moving
back before they are emotionally/physically healed, financially on top of
their present situation, during storm season and not knowing the future of
their neighborhoods (who's returning, what the make-up of the neighbors will
be, and whether they'll be huge green spaces or trash still being hauled 5
yrs. from now, if the parish will go further with cutbacks, resigning, being
shortchanged or its leaders will be successful in future dealings after the
"newness of generosity wears thin, and people leaving after having enough of
all of the above and more.

Looking at blighted homes is a fact of life in America, perhaps on a smaller
scale, so if they can't be totally eliminated with 2 or 3 in areas away in
some town---where's the miracle in getting 25,000 or so?

If we have to look on the bright side (not blight side<G>), then if cleaning
up gives a great deal of satisfaction, heals the soul or is the "right thing
to do" - each individual will act accordingly to the best of their ability.
When everyone lived there, conditions were as before and neighborhoods were
thriving, no one's thought about blighting their homes. They worked hard at
getting the work done.

However, desperate people take desperate measures in desperate times.
Whatever side of the fence, so to speak we're located whether it's in
government, those replace and those displaced, I can't see where any of this
trio is too pitiful that we have to hate, because if we were--that means
that either the 1% in government, 19% who's moved back and all of 80% are
wrong to do so. 

Again, we are ALL doing what we need to do, no matter what course of action
we take. All of us believe we're doing the right things for ourselves and
families. No rights, nor wrongs, but simply to fulfill a healing for us as
we struggle to recover. Remember, things are moving too slow for all of us
(in exception to some who are moving much faster than "real people and
families" need to at this moment in time).

==jer==