After reading the recent account of County Councilman Archie Scott’s presentation about the bathroom at the Riverdale Park being damaged by vandals, I felt compelled to join in the effort and outcry against such gross stupidity and destruction of public property.
Being a resident of the Riverdale Community (I stay less than a quarter mile from the park and often walk my dog in the area), I was very encouraged when I discovered that the County Council was putting forth an effort to complete the bathroom that had remained unfinished and unusable for many years. It both angered and disturbed me that someone would do such a senseless thing like wrecking a public bathroom just for meanness.
As hard as it is to get the county government to appropriate funds for the upkeep and repair of the children’s rides, picnic tables, basketball goals, etc. in this area, you would think that everyone would have the decency to appreciate and take care of these things that are for the public’s use and enjoyment.
While I am addressing the issue of vandals, it is the appropriate time to make an outcry against litterbugs. Like the vandals, these people who violate the law, as well as public or private property, by throwing trash on the grounds are very disrespectful and inconsiderate. It does not seem to matter to them how important it is not to litter. These unprincipled people help to contribute to the unsightly appearances of our roads, streets, and communities.
Many years ago, I was a litterbug myself and would almost automatically drop a can or bottle wherever I was at the time.
I was notorious for throwing trash out of the window of the car that I was either driving or riding in. Though I was never caught and given a fine for littering by the highway patrol or police officers, my conscience would convict me every time I did it that it was wrong.
Two things transpired in my late teens that would deliver me from littering.
First, a few of my brothers and I dumped some trash that we were supposed to take to the county dump site (that was then located about one mile away from the city limits right off Highway 9 East of Dillon) onto some private property not too far from our house.
When the landowner gave a thorough search by rummaging through the trash, he discovered a piece of discarded mail with our address on it, as well as my father’s name. I need not tell you what my father’s response was when the man confronted him about the trash that we had dumped on his land.
We were given a deadline to go and remove the trash or we would suffer the consequence of my father having to pay a fine for littering. That incident taught me a life-long lesson regarding the grave consequences of littering.
Secondly, the anti-littering campaign that was aggressively launched in the seventies and eighties with the slogan which had a stanza that said, “Please, please don’t be a litterbug, cause every litter bit hurts.” This effort that was launched to help keep America clean and free of litter evidently worked, at least on me, because I do not litter and will not allow passengers in my car to throw trash out of the windows.
Hopefully, the outcry that I have made today against litterbugs and vandals will not land on deaf ears. All of us should be a part of this battle to stop people from destroying public and private property, as well as the prevention of those who contribute to the unsightly appearance of our roads and streets.