AUTHOR: Drew Bryden
DATE: 5/11/2004 11:32:48 PM
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BODY:
Yes, I must admit it has been a long time since I have thrown my garbage out for viewing here. If the public had been clamoring for more, I would have kindly obliged.<br /><br />Just returned from a trip to Oregon and northern California. This was my first trip to the west coast, and I found the country beautiful. Everything was so clean compared to what I am used to. Pristine Cape Cod? I think not! Here we may view plastic shopping bag trees blowing in the wind, and roadside litter consists of hurled garbage, trash, bottles and anything else you can think of. I hadn't noticed quite how bad it really is getting here until my return from this trip. It's sad. Give a hoot, don't pollute? Anyone remember those advertisements. Perhaps it is time to go back to basics here. Unfortunately, the problem is mostly adult parents and the children of the offending adults. Last summer I attended a Cape Cod Baseball League game and I observed a very clean cut looking family sitting on blankets off the left field foul line. The entire family was picnicking. Picnicking and tossing wrappers - a popsicle and a thrown wrapper - a bag of popcorn and a thrown bag. Everything this family did not consume was tossed on the ground (and they were tossing away - not to be picked up later). Perhaps this is the movie theater, ball park mentality today. When you aren't immediately near a trash can, drop it under your seat for the people who get paid to clean. I don't know about anyone else, but my parents taught me to take my trash to the can. It was a pretty basic childhood lesson: you had trash you threw it out. I recall picking up others' litter as a child and dumping it as well. At the mentioned Cape Cod League ball game I walked right up to that family and picked up all of their wrappers and bags and walked all of the forty feet to the trash can. Give a hoot people! I can only imagine what a visitor from Oregon must think coming here. I am reminded of that Native American standing by the polluted river with the tear running down his face. They don't run ad campaigns like that anymore... perhaps it is time to bring them back!
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