By Bonnie Brown
Columnist

Welcome to Oxford, Mississippi! Our little community is an idyllic place to live and work. We are blessed to have a beautiful setting amongst the magnolias and rolling hills. In addition, we have the University of Mississippi who shares this spot on the map.

Unfortunately, there are those individuals who feel that it’s okay to litter our little town and surrounding area—particularly along the roadways.

If you have traveled out west, you can attest to the fact that there is little to no litter along the highways. There is a sense of pride in their surroundings. The residents (and visitors) appreciate that aspect while driving along the roads.

Why, then, do we have so much litter? I used to blame the student population for being lazy and irresponsible as well as disrespectful. However, if you will notice, even when the University is not in session, the litter still makes a nasty appearance.

I wish that I could police the roadways and identify those individuals who litter. Is it because you just finished lunch in your vehicle and wish to divest yourself of the nasty smell and paper products that accompanied your meal? Is it because you are going for a job interview, and you’ve been warned that occasionally a prospective employer will find a way to do a little detective work about your attention to detail by conjuring up a reason to walk you to your car and you don’t want that mountain of refuse, so you toss it on your way to the interview?

Seriously. Why do you litter?

Litter is not only unsightly but presents a lot of other problems. Think about the environment—YOUR environment. It takes 5 to 30 years for cigarette butts to decompose, aluminum cans 200-500 years; plastic bags up to 600 years! People get into wrecks trying to dodge litter on the highways.

Litter can kill wildlife. It facilitates the spread of disease.

Evidently some people litter when they see litter scattered about. Why? Do these people realize that someone will have to pick it up? Someone could be harmed by litter that’s present on our streets, in our neighborhoods, on our roadways.

Littered areas attract more crime and reduce property values. This applies to residential property and most especially affects businesses. Do you think twice before going into a business establishment that has trash blowing about on their parking lot and walkways? I certainly do!

When I inquired, Oxford Police Department (OPD) had no readily available information about littering citations. They have plenty of important duties and are to be commended by keeping not only the residents safe, but all the visitors that show up in the thousands to visit our charming town for various events. Kudos to the OPD!

But are these visitors responsible for all the litter scattered on the highways? NO! It is the responsibility of each of us to police ourselves and hopefully we can do a better job. To those of who whose mothers still pick up after you, please develop some better habits and pick up after yourselves. Yes, I’m directing these thoughts to the entire population who traverse our thoroughfares. The truck drivers, the students, the busy mom who is chauffer to a car full of kiddos, the lazy professional who believes someone else can pick up the trash that is tossed out.

Shame on you!

Put trash in its place! Slam dunk the junk in the can! Be part of the solution—not the pollution! Thank you!