The post that inspired me:

My response to the gray lady

The article that really got me going:

NY Times 2-16

My letter to them:

In reference to your recent article on fed-up New Orleanians leaving the city for good, you focused heavily on the negatives of staying here. And I do admit, there are a lot of negatives. My husband and I, along with our young son, chose to return to New Orleans six months after the storm hit, and four years after we moved away due to a job opportunity in NYC. Though my husband's current job is in Baton Rouge, we chose to move back into an apartment in our house here rather than renting it out completely to other tenants, because we love this city and do not want to see it die.

Leaving here is a highly emotional decision that is not made lightly, and there are many factors that enter into that decision. Escalating crime and an absence of leadership in the recovery process at local, state, and federal levels are two mighty large obstacles for this area to overcome, but for every person that picks up and leaves, there are others like my husband and I who will stay.

Perhaps we are foolish. Some would call us crazy. All I know is that, when my husband and I were still living in Queens and the hurricane hit the greater New Orleans area, we felt as though holes had been cut into our hearts. The dismal responses to this still-hurting city's trials made us want to run to its aid. I consider us lucky that we are able to do so in body as well as in spirit.

The NY Times response to me:

Thank you for writing. I really considered the article more about the failures of leadership in the city than any failure on the part of its residents.. My story was about people leaving so it did focus on the negatives. But we have also written about people coming back and everything in between. The New York Times has been very dedicated to this story in its many, many facets.

Uh-huh. Oooo-kay.