[StBernard] Jer (to live or not to live in St. Bernard)

[Westley Annis]

There have been several points going back and forth over whether or not
Jer's posts are worthwhile.

Since they are going through, you can rest assured that I think they are
worthwhile.

While Jer's emails can be long at times, I personally think it is a good
thing.  We are caught in a world of sound bites, texting, and instant
messaging where everything has to be said in 120 characters or less (go
visit http://twitter.com or http://twitter.com/WestleyAnnis to see what I'm
talking about). Jer has a gift for writing in a truly unique manner that I
do find refreshing.

Do I read all of his emails from top to bottom? Nope. And there are a few
others that fall into that category also. If I'm pressed for time, I'll skim
it quickly and let it go through.  Jer has been participating long enough
that I feel I can trust him not to say anything totally inflammatory or
offensive.  Of course, as a double edged sword, I do let some negative
comments about him go through because I also feel he has proved himself as a
"big boy" who is totally capable of defending himself and doesn't need to be
shielded.

Just because he doesn't live in da parish doesn't make his comments any less
worthwhile. If living in the parish is a pre-requisite for participating in
this list, not only would the size of this list drop tremendously, but it
would also have to be disbanded since I, myself, do not live in St. Bernard
nor do I have any plans for returning to St. Bernard in the future.  It is a
decision that my wife and I made on August 30, 2005 just by looking at the
simple reality of the situation we were in, the future plans we had made
beforehand, and where our support network was located.

Knowing the decision that was already made, I could have washed my hands of
St. Bernard Parish at that time and not let this list grow into what it has
become. Many people thought I was trying to use the list as a means of
jumpstarting a political future in St. Bernard, but I guess it took this
past election cycle to prove them wrong.

Everyone had to make the best decision for themselves and their family. For
those of us not returning to St. Bernard, it doesn't make us bad folks or
the enemy, but it does give us a different perspective. As "outsiders" we
can now look at the progress, or lack thereof, and offer our opinions. 

For those living in St. Bernard, it doesn't mean you have to take our
opinions and employ them, but we do hope you will at least listen to what we
have to say and let it guide your actions as you rebuild the area we once
called home.

This list continues because I, and others like me, who no longer live in St.
Bernard, still have an attachment to it. This is not a money maker for me.
Even with the paid advertisers and donations I receive, it gets nowhere
close to reimbursing me for the time and effort it takes to keep it going. I
could easily give myself another hour or two a day by simply disbanding the
list. After all, I no longer live in St. Bernard.

Westley