NORMAN — This is a plea to all citizens to ‘take up arms’ to fight the battle of littering in our community. (I’m not talking about a campaign to ‘shoot’ litterbugs, although it’s crossed my mind a few times!) The arms I’m talking about are the ones attached to our bodies.
We face litter in the parking lots of businesses where we shop, the roads we travel and the neighborhoods and parks where we live and play. I have travelled to other cities and countries around the world and taken note of cultures that find the practice of littering intolerable. In comparison to other American cities, perhaps Norman is above average, but I think we can do better.
As an active volunteer for Adopt-a-Street and Adopt-a Highway, I have an acute awareness of this problem on a daily basis. We’ve all witnessed litterbugs in the act while driving or sitting at a stoplight. (I doubt those people are reading the Opinion Page, not to mention a newspaper, so I won’t waste time preaching to them.) Until we can pass (and enforce) stricter litter fines, the best we can do is to program 1-800-LITTER into speed-dial on our phones and call in their car tag when we witness it.
In my litter treks, half of the trash I pick-up seems to come from negligence on someone’s part. Perhaps they do not understand the concept of Oklahoma wind and the precautions one should take when placing trash/recycling on the curb or disposing of packaging materials (foam peanuts). Pickup drivers especially need to take stock of lightweight materials in the back of their trucks before they hit the highway. Managers of fast food restaurants should make sure there are plenty of emptied and conveniently placed trash cans in their parking lots so trash does not blow into nearby creeks and businesses. Developers and construction companies should not be negligent when it comes to providing containment for materials that can blow into creeks, lakes or nearby parks. My personal wish is that homeowner associations, landscaping businesses and our own city management who employ people to mow, should insist that they pick up trash before multiplying it by 10x. In addition, utility services and highway maintenance departments should train their workers that it is not acceptable to leave their materials (or leftover refreshments) at the worksite once they are finished. Cutting down on such negligence, I believe, is half the battle in this war.
As a result, all of us will benefit from a cleaner and more attractive community. It helps maintain our property values and promotes economic development and tourism. It prevents apathy and sets an example for our youth as we aim to instill a sense of pride in our community.
I challenge you as Sooners to use your ‘arms’ to make a difference. So - the next time you see a plastic bag blowing past you (within your grasp) — do what you can to put it in its place, lest it blow onto a sports field, a creek or a tree where you will be able to view it for the duration of the war.
Pianist Mary Sallee lives in Norman.
