Tuesday, July 5th In the Aftermath of the festivities

I hope that everyone in the US had a wonderful 4th of July, but I have an observation to make. I live in a small rural town, and supposedly we are proud of our "hometown" atmosphere. Every year we have parades, and we let off fireworks on the jetty outside the edge of the harbor, and people come from other states and even countries to see the display. I am not advocating that people should ever be denied this celebration, quite the contrary! I LOVE 4th of July and the whole spirit of unity and family, but I cannot believe what a negative image we present!!!

I was walking back to my house after the parade yesterday, and the streets were littered with the trash from the people who were watching the parade. Cups, broken toys and balloons, and the wrappers from the candy that gets thrown to spectators from the floats. It is always so awful afterwards! I cannot believe that people just assume that "someone else will take care of it." Is this any way to treat our country?!

Worse yet is the state of the beaches after the fireworks. People are allowed to let off their purchased fireworks on the beach while they are waiting for the display that is put on by the city. Again, the people just leave their trash all over the ground, including the debris left from their own fireworks and celebrating. They simply assume that the tide will come and "clean" up after them. There are all kinds of toxic sediments left in those leftover canisters and wrappers that are so carelessly strewn all over! And our citizens wonder why our fishing has been declining over the years! Is it really so hard to figure out that we are poisoning our own waters?!!!

Ok, you figured it out, I am an environmentalist. But propriety be damned, this HAS TO STOP!!! I have written to my local government, but I seem to be viewed as some kind of weirdo, you know, "One of those TREE HUGGERS..." So Be It, I am!!!!! I am horrified at the amount of ridiculous things that we are willing to overlook for the sake of finances. Our poor little town gets revenue from the whole celebration. But what will we do when the pristine beauty that we take for granted isn't there any more? This is one of the few places left in the US where it is relatively unspoiled, and and an area of even greater rarity, where the Redwoods abound.

I am sure that there are similar problems all over the country, and I have to ask you all, is this any way to respect the country that we love?