Take pride in your community

To the editor:

Yesterday, as I was pulling in to my driveway, from the corner of my eye, I saw a glimpse of a plastic bag in my front yard. My first thought was, well, "it must have blown into the yard." As I was went to pick it up, I realized that someone had actually dumped out their trash! Of course, by that time, all the contents contained in that bag were scattered about in my front yard. I spent at least 30 minutes picking up someone's grotesque garbage. In fact, I pick up someone else's trash on a daily basis - in my yard, or curbside.

Taking walks through our city streets and through the alleys is disturbing enough, with the trash and junk that lie within them. Plus, I have to pick up trash that people throw in my yard.

I can understand that sometimes with the weather and the wind that trash from our cans gets blown about. What I don't understand is when someone makes a trip to their local convenience store to buy a soft drink, snacks, or cigarettes, the empty container ends up on the street corner.

I will admit that I have OCD. I cannot stand my yard having clutter or trash, and it drives me crazy to see it in other yards. If it were up to me, I would go around every day and pick up trash along the street and in people's yards.

I do not understand why people do not respect where they live, their community, where their children play. Shouldn't we be examples for our kids and teach them it isn't O.K. to throw trash on the ground, or wherever you want? There are trashcans and recycling boxes all around town. It doesn't really take more time to put the trash in a can.

I understand that we are all busy. We work, have busy family lives, and all the extras, but none of us should be too busy or too lazy to pick up after ourselves. I think we have forgotten to teach important lessons, and our children are growing up with the idea that 'oh well, not my problem, someone else will pick it up!'

I am sure anyone that has to pick up trash from their yard is angered by that.

We need to care! God gave us this beautiful world; why are we destroying it? Alone, we can't do it all, but if everyone would do a little, could you imagine? I know that when I travel to an unfamiliar town or city, I look around; its appearance speaks measurably about that area. If I were looking for a new area to move, upon entering, the curbsides and streets were cluttered with trash, and people's yards were full of junk and debris, would I want to move there?

I'm not trying to pick on smokers. However, as it seems that the most common form of trash that we can all find along streets, curbs, parking lots, drive ways, yards, etc. those pesky little butts. When they are tossed, we think, "once we throw them out the window, that they are gone, right?" Wrong!

Did you know that a cigarette filter is made of cellulose acetate, persists up to 10 years before breaking down. Many cigarettes end up in streams and rivers, where they continue to cause havoc for years. More then 4,800 chemicals have been identified in tobacco smoke. Filters are designed to trap harmful toxins. When tossed into the environment, chemicals are released into the ground, water supplies, and animals die.

So, I urge you, put the trash where is belongs. Don't throw it on the ground or in someone's yard. Recycle what you can, so toxic products don't end up in our water supplies! Plan for a family day, a ministry project, volunteer to help a neighbor, clean up our yards, and get rid of junk lying around.

We may not be a fantastically wealthy community, but we can respect where we live and be proud to be a part of this community! I am not certain of the littering laws in our county, but I am certain that they are not followed.

Carrie Fairchild

Portland[[In-content Ad]]