It's a shame

Everywhere I go, I see trash and litter strewn about. Even out in the woods, like these beer cans I saw along the Little River in Westfield. What makes people think it's OK to just toss their trash anywhere, as if it goes away once it's out of their sight?

When I was a kid (back in the dark ages), there was a famous commercial with a Native American looking out over a sea of litter, and a single tear running down his cheek. There was also one with an animated owl who said, "Give a hoot, don't pollute!" Apparently environmentalism is something that my generation didn't pass along to its children.

Surely there are a lot of people who feel the way I do. Who really wants to see trash along the sidewalks and roads? Are people really that self-involved that they don't even notice? No, don't answer that, I know what the answer is.

What I think we should do is bring back public shame. Hey, it's worked for several police departments in combating prostitution; why not for littering? The smaller and more closely-knit the community, the better it would work.

Try it: the next time you see someone drop trash, shake your head and say, "Shame on you!" Toot your horn at that car tossing cigarette butts out the window. If you see a child drop trash on the ground, condescendingly inform them that that is not acceptable in a civilized society. Didn't your mother teach you better than that?

Even if it makes a little bit of difference, it's worth it. Pass it on.

civic apathy

Unless you've been living in a cave, you've probably heard about the incident in Hartford, CT, where a CCTV camera caught a man being hit by a car, which then fled the scene, and the apparent apathy and inaction of bystanders. There's been a lot of talk on the news and the blogosphere about urban apathy, but city blogger Heather Brandon has written a very thoughtful post over at Urban Compass about the incident and the aftermath.

She raises the point that a lot of people just don't know what to do in an emergency, which is doubtless true. The drivers who went around him after the accident quite possibly didn't see what had happened, and were more concerned about traffic on the busy street. A couple of people did, in fact, dial 911 right after it happened.

It is true that a majority, if not most, people just don't want to get involved. Witness the countless people who pass the homeless every day without acknowledging their existence, let alone offering a helping hand. Our society is more concerned with self-gratification than with philanthropy. Apathy is, indeed, rampant.

It's something that I'm working on in myself, and I can only hope that more people share my aspirations. Go read Heather's post, and see if you can't exorcise some of your own apathy.

Here's a new one!

When an Iowa man was recently busted for possession of marijuana, he told the officers that it wasn't for distribution; he said he was going to compost it. Needless to say, the police didn't believe him, and he was charged with possession with intent to distribute.

Lighthouse mystery solved

Local historians in Wellfleet, MA (on Cape Cod) had thought for decades that the lighthouse that had protected its harbor had been destroyed. It turns out that it was in California the whole time. The best part? They had no record, or idea, that it was there. They found correspondence showing that the Coast Guard had moved it to California, but not how they did it. Because it's metal, they're guessing that it was disassembled and transported by train.

Can you imagine finding that out? Quelle surprise!

Guerrilla Gardening

Here's an idea that I can embrace wholeheartedly: Guerrilla Gardening. Started in London by some folks who were tired of urban blight, so they stealth-planted in vacant lots; it has since grown into a movement, and even a book. I especially like the stories from around the world of people taking urban beautification into their own hands. You can even find a community near you.

I admit that I have surreptitiously planted seeds (mostly sweet peas) around my area, but I like the idea of a bunch of folks going out in the middle of the night, and taking over a neglected plot of public land. It's subversive, and it's beautiful!