Litterbug’s trash disposal ruffles reporter’s senses
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Mouth ajar and in shock, I sat up appalled.
“Did you just throw your bottle cap into the lake?” I asked.
It was a statement more than a question. He threw the piece of metal over his head and into the Flathead Lake in one defiant motion of irreverence.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. People don’t still litter brazenly and openly. Not in Montana. Not where purple mountains’ majesty rivals the beauty of any other state.
His defense was arrogant and haughty. He didn’t seem to think that his bottle cap would make a difference.
Maybe he’s right. It was just one cap.
But if the majority of people tolerate such behavior, how many bottle caps are thrown in the water per day? How many caps over the course of one summer? How much trash in a decade? How much litter will sit, rotting and indestructible on the bottom of the lake for years or centuries?
I didn’t understand the action. With a trashcan in arms reach, why would anyone throw a piece of garbage — no matter how small — into a seemingly pristine body of water?
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t my boat and I didn’t know the kid. I’m not trying to be the moral police, but the disrespectful action and an upset stomach warranted a response.
For the most part, the people of Montana impress me. Montana’s citizens seem to have a deep respect for the state and respect the stunning nature around them.
Illinois isn’t as fortunate.
In St. Clair County where I grew up, trash lined our highways and roads. My family spent many summer evenings, armed with trash bags and a pick-up truck. From the mile stretch of country road that led to our house, we hauled anything — from empty beer cans to abandoned shoes, left by people who didn’t cherish our country’s heartland.
The road would stay clean for a while, and then a month later, Dad would have us out there again, trash bags in hand.
I have yet to see such a blatant disregard for the environment in Montana, but I still see some trash along our highways and roads.
It baffles me. Is it that difficult to find a trashcan?
In an environmental conference in early June, The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe’s Wildlife Manager Dale Becker didn’t bother to hide his disgust when he spoke about illegal dumping.
He said the department doesn’t have the resources to remove household appliances left on tribal land.
But they do it anyway — spending invaluable funds and resources to pay for someone else’s trashy behavior.
What a waste.
In short, keep your trash where it belongs.
Kate Haake is a reporter with the Valley Journal.
