[StBernard] Liberty For All

[Westley Annis]

Craig's Corner

September 15, 2009

 

Liberty for All

 

During the course of our community's recovery and the ongoing rebuilding,
there have been many discussions about many different ideas of what should
be done and what shouldn't be done.  More discussion ensued about when to do
and when not to do.  For the most part, the vision of our community has been
the product of our discussions, ideas, and direction.  Even in the instances
of being at the mercy of other agencies and other organizations, we largely
carved our own path.  But recently, our ability to carve our own path has
been not only threatened but removed from our very community.

 

To speak frankly, St. Bernard Parish has been tagged by some as a backwoods,
uneducated, throwback community interested only in perpetuating racial
divide, class inequity, and closed growth.  The obvious irony is that those
making these outlandish claims not only are destructive, divisive, and
degrading, but when examined closer reveal an agenda of propaganda,
plotting, and profiteering by these claimants.  Their modus operandi are to
slither about seeking opportunities to enact their packaged plan of
repetitive comments to a complicit court as a means to perpetuate the
breakdown of true freedom of American society.

 

One must recognize the brilliance of this plot: arrive (not by accident) on
the scene of a vulnerable situation, claiming to protect and save a
vulnerable population and community, release a flurry of rehearsed
rhetorical rumors, reference skewed statistical data, and make away with a
monetary dowry built on $600.00 an hour billing rates.  It has been
chastised by this group of legal road show bandits that great leaders take
people where they don't want to go be ought to be.  How scary is that
concept when used by an agenda driven authority?  Is that not what Hitler
did?  Is that not what Bin Laden perpetuates?  Is that not what prompted the
Boston Tea Party?

 

Our community is not a perfect one.  Our community has scars of the sins of
our predecessors.  What community does not?  But what OUR community is is
deserving of the sanctity of the freedoms and inalienable right to mange and
direct ourselves as a sovereign parish of the state of Louisiana and the
United States of America.

 

What this boils down to is a simple challenge of the basic foundation of a
community.  Can we, the leaders of St. Bernard Parish, stand face to face
with the individuals we serve and affirm our respective oaths of office? And
more importantly, can we affirm that our actions serve the greater good of
the rebuilding our community in a fair, moral, and justifiable manner?
Political differences aside- I can answer "absolutely".  Furthermore, when
the damage of these bandits is done and their cast of characters has moved
to their next road show gig, we, the people of St. Bernard Parish, Black,
White, Asian, Hispanic, Christian and not, will be here praying, working,
and fighting everyday to protect our right to be St. Bernard Parish.

 

God Bless,

Craig P. Taffaro, Jr.