One new chore I have assigned myself these days is litter patrol in my neighborhood. Thanks to some of our neighbors and their friends, we always have an abundance of litter casually tossed from passing automobiles.
It’s not a problem confined to my area, because I see litter and garbage by the roadside almost everywhere I go in Alabama.
I have been behind people at red lights that actually put their vehicles in park, open their doors and dump an ashtray full of cigarette butts right there in the street.
I wonder what gave them the idea that this is acceptable behavior? Maybe they think those butts are not really litter. I believe that some of those butts will still be in streets and roadsides when the sun runs out of gas and the moon turns into Swiss cheese.
I personally think it’s ok for police officers to taser anyone they catch dumping litter. I’m not talking serious damage but hit them hard enough they wet their britches.
I think the fine in Walker County is $25 and has the same priority for prosecuting as those who tear the labels of their mattresses.
Instead of money, I think the penalty for littering should be sixteen hours of supervised community service where violators must pick up roadside litter for a weekend in their own community so their friends and family see them on garbage patrol.
As bad as littering is, there are worse offenders…those who dump dead, or living animals on roadsides.
There is a wide place in the road near our house and we find a variety of dead and living creatures dumped there constantly.
During hunting season this past year, someone had cut the heads off two deer and dumped their carcasses there. My thoughts, these folks must have crawled from the shallow end of the gene pool.
Responsible hunters I know find this as disturbing as I do. And don’t ask my wife what she would like to do those offenders.
I can write until my fingers are blue, but this problem will not go away. I think the answer to this problem lies in early education, teaching children to have pride in their community and surroundings no matter how humble their surroundings are.
I have always thought of this earth as a garden, the place we live that provides us with air to breathe, water to drink and places to live and raise families. If we don’t respect and care for it, is there anything we respect and care for?
Starting at home is a good place to start fixing the littering problem.
