Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Scott Mims | Community Columnist

Here in the Deep South, those who identify as “environmentalists” are in the minority on the political spectrum. However, I’m going to step out on a limb and say that most people, I believe, would agree that it’s a positive thing to take pride in one’s community and to help keep their neighborhood beautiful.

I say this because I have a well-known pet peeve—it always makes me angry when I see someone littering. This is especially true when people throw trash out of their moving vehicle onto the street or someone else’s property.

This one has never made sense to me. I don’t understand, when there are plenty of ways to dispose of trash, exactly why someone would dump their trash and make it someone else’s problem to be dealt with.

I think the root of the problem comes down to two issues—lack of pride and laziness. Other people do it and the roadside is already a mess, so it must be OK, right? Or perhaps you have a negative opinion of the community. Or, you’re simply too lazy to take responsibility.

Some of the more cynical members of the community might trash this column (pun intended) by saying that it’s ignoring more important issues. However, every time I look at the roadside, I continue to see people’s trash. Even when I visit protected natural areas, I am disgusted by the amount of litter I see on the ground. So as long as that is true, I believe it is a relevant issue. I wish we had a better solution for this problem.

Let me encourage you to do your part to beautify the community. Dispose of your trash properly. Also, if you visit a public area and see litter on the ground, consider taking along a garbage bag and either disposable gloves or a device to pick up litter and dispose of it properly. If everyone did this, perhaps we would take more pride in our community.