How Nasty
Can We Get?
By Barrington H. Brennen, April
1, 2015
PDF Format
Last
week my wife and I were reorganizing our attic and realized
we needed to get rid of many unused items. Since our very
own trash bins were already filled and these were not the
every-day trash, I decided to take these large items to the
city dump on Tonique Williams Darling Highway. As I
entered through the large gate off the main road, I was
shocked to see the debris scattered all about the place. It
was so embarrassing to be welcomed that way! Right near the
entrance, I saw people picking through the debris looking
for items they could use. “Why would people dump trash
right here?” I asked myself. Who is doing this and why is
it being done? Is it because people are lazy? Is it because
they don’t care how it looks? I wondered whether I was
entering a “fifth world country”—a new category of countries
I had to coin for such uncommon nastiness. It appears that
people are too lazy to drive the long road to the official
dump site. But I was in for a bigger surprise.
I
began my journey up the more than a mile long road to the
actual dump entrance. I was embarrassingly amazed of the
trash that littered the road the entire way. I have taken
trash to the dump before over the past forty years and I
have never seen this. Almost every minute I commented to
myself: “Why are people so nasty?” There were
refrigerators, mattresses, bags of clothing, lumber,
furniture, food, air conditioners, old computers, paint
cans, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The journey that day
turned out to be the longest mile ever. This long road is
not even the dump site yet. I know that the managers of the
site did not put the trash there; and they are not even
responsible for moving it.
So
why do people do such things. Is it a sign of mental
illness? It is a sign of revenge or bitterness? I wonder
what would these same indiscriminate trash dumpers do if I
went to their homes and dumped decaying dead dogs, stink
food, and old clothing right on their front door steps.
What will they think or do?
Is
this street to the city dump or landfill a sign of our
national pride? Is it a real sign of our national disgust
and pain? Is it indifference or simply lackadaisical
attitude? Whatever it is, it is totally wrong. In June of
2014, I wrote an article entitled: “Stop and Pick Up the
Trash.” I was complaining about our beaches. I shared that
when Annick and I go to swim, we pick up beach trash and put
it in the containers. I said: “We pick up condom wraps,
fast food containers, clothing, bath towels, swim suits,
bras, panties, sanitary pads, children’s toys, tissue paper,
pizza boxes, shoes, beer bottles, soda cans, soft drink
containers, etc. Sometimes we find dollar bills, cell
phones, and wallets. It is clear to me that during the
nights the beach is used as an excitement sandy strip for
midnight pleasure seekers.”
We
do have some clean, lovely areas on our island. However,
any empty street or property is often used as a dumping
ground. Why? I think this is done become people simply
don’t care and do not think clearly about the consequences
of what they are doing. People in trash-filled
neighborhoods do not realize that the large mound of trash
in their neighborhood actually reflects their character and
mindset. They leave home for work on Monday morning heavily
perfumed and dressed up in their beautiful apparels and
actually step around or over the trash. Is this a sign of
mental illness? One writer said: “People litter because
they do not feel responsible for public areas like streets
and parks. The more they litter, the more it becomes a
habit. People usually litter outside their own neighborhood
where their trash becomes someone else's problem. People
litter because they believe someone will pick up after
them. Once litter starts to pile up, people feel even less
responsible for adding to the litter. If an area is clean,
people are less likely to litter.”
Who
is littering? One research states: “Individuals under 30
are more likely to litter than those who are older. In
fact, age, and not gender, is a significant predictor of
littering behavior.” I wonder if this is the same in our
country. Is a sense of entitlement causing many to do
this? Is it because too many do not have a sense of
ownership? They are saying to themselves: “This land is
not my land.” All are guilty of such a despicable
behavior: the rich and poor, blacks and whites, males and
females, young and old. I have seen people dumping from
their luxurious cars and expensive trucks. Let’s stop this.
THIS MUST
STOP
Dear
citizens, we must stop this indiscriminate dumping. It
looks terrible. It is detrimental to the image we project to
the world. It ruins our tourism brand and product. It
pollutes the environment and even impacts adversely our
mental health. It shows who we are as a people. Stand up
and make a difference. Drive the entre road to the
landfill, pay the fee, and dump the trash. Let us truly
display national pride. Make it your duty to stop and pick
up trash wherever you are—the small pieces of chewing gum
wrappers on the school floor, sandwich papers, ATM
print-outs, etc. Let it begin with you. Simply make an
intentional, deliberate decision. “I will not litter.”
“I will not do indiscriminate dumping anywhere, anytime,
anyhow."
Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist and
board certified clinical psychotherapist, USA. Send your
questions or comments to barringtonbrennen@gmail.com or
write to P.O. Box CB-13019, Nassau, The Bahamas, or visit www.soencouragement.org or
call 242-327-1980 or 242-477-4002
