Continuing the theme of pedagogy from yesterday, rather than teaching children how to go about changing their gender, maybe our schools should take some time to mention (in passing) that one should NOT DROP LITTER.
Litter is a blight on society, along with most graffiti. Neither would have been tolerated a couple of generations ago. When I was young (and still today) the idea of dropping a sweet wrapper, or an empty pop-bottle, on the ground was simply unheard of. We were taught that it was unacceptable behaviour.
I hate seeing other people's litter everywhere; especially in our nearby churchyard. There used to be litter bins there, but some bright spark decided to remove them, so I suppose the blame can partly be placed on whoever made that decision.
These days I keep a large bag in my pocket and dispose of the detritus myself. I don't enjoy doing it, but find it almost impossible not to.
I just wish I didn't have to, but the litter-bugs leave me no alternative.
Part of the younger generation's "someone else's problem" attitude to a lot of life. And, of course, a lack of behavioural correction from an early age by parents/schools afraid/unwilling to enforce any discipline in case it might harm these snowflakes.
ReplyDeleteDreadful. But they'll be saying the same as us when they grow-up a bit.
DeleteI think a lot of public rubbish bins were taken down in fear they would be used by terrorists to plant bombs. I would never throw my rubbish on the ground...or hang used dog-poop bags in trees. (Why? Why?)
ReplyDeleteI do occasionally see poo bags left on the ground, on benches, or on gravestones. WHY on earth do people do that!!!
DeleteThere is a local Beach Clean charity here whereby groups of volunteers meet up to remove rubbish discarded on our beaches . This week one volunteer picked up a plastic bag that happened to be full of used syringes. An emergency hospital visit was required.
ReplyDeleteSome people are just disgusting.
It really is amazing how some people think it's OK simply to drop their rubbish everywhere. I'm more astounded by it than disgusted.
DeleteAt school we had one day a week where we had to go out and collect playground litter. The classes would take it in turns. It was so deadly boring that it put us off dropping anything...and woe betide if you did drop anything, the playground staff would be onto you quick as a flash.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly how it should be. Teach them when they're still young, then hopefully it'll stick.
DeleteI remember doing that at my school too. Some days there was none to be picked up.
DeleteThere has been a story recently on local radio about a man with a prostate problem who had to stop in a lay-by for a wee. He was fined for "littering" by the local council !! He got in touch with the BBC3 Counties Radio consumer programme and after some to and fro with the council, the fine was quashed. He had been prepared to take it to court if it hadn't been!
ReplyDeleteI read recently of a woman who was fined for having a bird bath/feeder in her garden. Could anything be more crazy than that?
DeleteYes I saw that story....apparently the neighbours said she was encouraging pigeons and rats. I stopped feeding the birds in the back garden as we would often see a rat enjoying the bits that the birds dropped onto the grass!
DeleteNo doubt the Pigeons and Rats were there anyway, so they probably have some rights too.
DeleteYou may be a right winger like Stanley Matthews and me as far left as Che Guevara but I share with you a thorough distaste for litter! I swear that I have never consciously dropped a piece of litter in my entire life. We could reflect on supermarkets, packaging and litter bin provision but in the end what is wrong with people who thoughtlessly chuck their litter down?
ReplyDeleteI like to pride myself also, on never having dropped litter. It has always seemed like a very nasty thing to do. I have thrown Banana skins away, but they decompose in a couple of days.
DeleteActually they don't and are particularly dangerous to sheep who cannot chew them and have been found dead from choking on banana skins.
DeleteWe were told that it was ok to throw apple cores on the ground as the birds will eat them. Never anything else. Meant to put this on yesterday. Thought it may interest you. Artcoreuk.com
ReplyDeleteIf only empty Vodka bottles or Beer cans would decompose; maybe one day they will.
DeleteThere is a place for everything, and on the ground is no the place for trash. I do hope that schools will continue to be a safe place for students whose identity do not fit into society's expectations, accepting teachers have comforted a lot of students and prevented a lot of deaths.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment about 'identity', but I'm afraid it's gone way beyond that in the UK. The 'woke folk' have a lot of power over here. Too much!
DeleteLittering is just as bad here as most countries but they are getting better. School children do get taught about recycling, keeping the sea and beach clean and not littering and help with clean ups. However there are so many that just throw their coffee containers or fast food wrappers out the car window or drop them from a motorbike. We see the results all the way up the mountain.
ReplyDeleteWe were behind a car, off the island, that dropped a coffee cup out the window and K chased them, made them stop and told them to go back and get it. The guy was gobsmacked and just said sorry. I hope he learnt the lesson
K was right, we shouldn't hold back from telling people to pick-up their rubbish.
DeleteI agree what is it with people? The lack of trash receptacles is bad, but take it home and trash it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young the very idea of eating in the street was totally outlawed, so we didn't have empty packets or bottles to throw away. These days it seems almost obligatory to eat anywhere but at home!!!
DeleteIn the US, several states are currently debating at what age a sex change procedures can be performed. I have no answers and I am not particularly against the surgery. That said, the age question seems legitimate. Our schools recently announced that most students are behind academically and scores are down. I wonder what they plan to address this. I walk extensively in local, Town owned conservation land and forests; I find it pristine. People seem to really care about keeping the land clean. Yesterday, I was in Concord, MA center to shop and there is no litter anywhere. For this I am very grateful.
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky, here it is almost an epidemic. Litter is everywhere.
DeleteAwareness of litter is slowly increasing, but not fast enough..and some, seeing others clearing up, intentionally drop more.
ReplyDeleteI just notice the huge difference between here and most other countries...and it's not good
The UK did always seem worse than France, but now the French are charging to use dustbins so people are dumping more. Recycling bins are still free to use but ordinary rubbish is charged.
DeleteI used to pay the neighborhood children to police our street and pick up litter. They occasionally brought me unopened cans of beer and once a carton of expensive German beer, tossed, I'm sure, by teenagers on the way home. And we always filled a trash can with their wagon loads of trash from just our street. I kept the beer.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter used to work with a team of volunteers who cleaned rubbish from the beaches and coastline near her home in Oz. The amount of rubbish they collected was phenomenal.
DeleteI used to pick up litter but now there is so much and most is empty vodka bottles, and syringes, I just don't want to touch them, not even with gloves.
ReplyDeleteI often feel like wearing plastic gloves to pick up the rubbish, but I wouldn't touch syringes at all.
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