Jackson Free Press

Q. What is the single most obvious opportunity for a citizen to assist the City of Jackson in addressing a community problem? By this question, I am referring to all the problems faced by our city. Isn't there one that, if addressed by working toward a solution, would effect the greatest change for our city? Is it teenage pregnancy? Is it crime? Is it lack of a CC's Coffee House? Is it education? Is it drugs? Is it the antics of the City Council? Is it corruption? Is it potholes? Is it 'white flight'? Is it lack of nightlife? What is the solution? How can the average citizen help? What will make the greatest impact?
— NEED TO KNOW

A. This question came to me some time ago, and I'll confess I did not know how to answer it. How does one pick the one most important problem that, if fixed or solved, will make the greatest amount of difference? I can pick the one best flavor of ice cream on a chosen day (some form of chocolate, usually), choose which movie I want to attend—or if I want to attend one at all. I can choose a friend or lover. Even a husband! (And I've had a couple of good ones!) But for the entire city of Jackson—a problem, a solution that will make the greatest difference? I was stumped. So I talked to a number of people in the know about problems and solutions. I wondered and pondered and worried.

I don't know just one single problem that, if addressed, will make the most difference for the good in Jackson. I think sometimes—and I speak from experience—we want to find the best of anything before we take action. We look and wait and wait and look and never find it, so we never do anything.

On the other hand, the times I've done something I was interested in—ANYTHING, for the good of anybody else—it has been important and made a difference. Our city and its elected officials and business and civic leaders have too long waited for JUST THE RIGHT THING. We wait for a convention center to be built; we wait for the King Edward Hotel to be renovated; we wait for Farish Street to become an established center of entertainment. Meanwhile, buildings go vacant downtown.

By these comments, I do not mean to suggest that people should not Think Big. But Big is usually a lot of smalls. I think about Bob Moses, who teaches math at Lanier High School. Bob Moses is a great man, and it was his foresight and insight that almost single-handedly created the civil rights advances in Mississippi and transformed this state. Bob Moses certainly thought Big, or he would never have tackled the Mississippi racial situation in the early 1960s. But Bob Moses also thought Small. He thought about individuals. Now he has a nationwide program to teach math to black students. It's innovative and BIG, and he goes all over the country in support of it.

It doesn't matter what you do for the good of Jackson. It can be nonprofit or commercial, citywide or on one street corner. Pick something you know about, that you're passionate about, and then work on it with all your heart, and it will make Jackson better. Success—progress, goodwill—builds on itself.

I wish you well. And I hope others, including myself, will follow your lead.

Q. Dear JoAnne, How can I ever find the words to express my appreciation of your encouraging my Daddy to find a way to host his damn "short-necked clam battle"? (JFP, March 10-24, 2004). He made me, my sister Spooky and the newest next-door neighbors try to eat that crap. It was the worst night of my life. I had real bad diarrhea for three days. The neighbors were really nice, but I could tell we'll never see them again. Dad said he used only genuine Yazoo short-necks, but I didn't believe him. Spooky said she'd had worse things in her mouth before. On the Iron Chef show with clams that I saw, all the judges kept complaining about how the smell really bothered them, especially that old lady who tells fortunes. They were being polite. Our kitchen still stinks, and our dog, Choo-Choo, hasn't come in the house in over a week. There was so much left over that Dad put over half of the dishes in the freezer. You are welcome to take my place at the table for leftover clam night.

Thank you and Bon Appetit yourself.
—LOUIS P. RUSSELL, JR.

A. Dear Little Louie,
Tell your daddy to stick to catfish.