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Residents responsible for “nasty trash”
So, Barb Jackson feels bad that the Westside looks trashy and wants a clean place to live (“Don’t we deserve to live in a nice, clean area?” from the April 21 edition of the Westside Messenger)?
Well, that area was cleaned up, but people traveling to and from their neighborhoods (and more than likely, her own neighbors) have trashed it again. Bless the people involved in the annual clean-ups that go on every year.
Some of the trashing, and not to sound paranoid, is done on purpose. In the past, I’ve been to Prairie Township meetings and seen the property maintenance code fail! Some of the jeering, yelling, and language used at some of these meetings cannot be repeated here (although I’ve heard 8, 9 and 10-year-olds turn the air “blue”).
It does not matter that cars, pick-up trucks, vans, motorcycles and ATV’s are parked on front lawns, because as I heard and witnessed, people don’t want to be told what to do with their own property. Trash upon trash acts like a magnate for more trash.
I can empathize with Barb, but when you are living in an era of irresponsibility, indiscriminate sex, child and elder abuse, rampant crime of all types, just to mention a few of our everyday problems, some trash under a freeway bridge may not look nice, but unless individuals take charge and act upon these problems, don’t expect what’s under the bridge to be gone anytime soon.
It could be solved, if only the authorities would enforce their own laws regarding littering. There is a $500 fine against littering. Has anyone seen or been held responsible? No.
Dale E. Lauffer,
Columbus
