Raising Slobs
Louisiana is one of the 10 worst in every category of litter and debris ranking in a new study called “The American Litter Scorecard,” authored by Washington-based government analyst Steve Spacek.
Why my lack of shock? Two reasons.
One, as a cyclist, I get a much closer view of roadsides than does a motorist. Not pretty. Coke bottles, beer cans, torn trash bags spilling their guts into the road, you see it everywhere.
Two, as a teacher I see the cause. Not that kids are slobs; of course they are. But that teachers let them be slobs, and often are themselves. On field day Friday, I was the only teacher rounding up children and making them pick up the empty water and Gatorade bottles. I’m also one of the few who will not let them leave class until the floors are completely empty of debris. I have no control, though, over the faculty lounge. And if you ever saw it, you’d know why no one makes the kids pick up after themselves: The thought probably never crosses their minds.
