For the sixth year, students from Columbia High School's Environmental Academy spearheaded a clean-up with help from local residents. Their efforts had already resulted in the removal of 15 tons of trash from the lake, including 900 pounds last year. And yet, this year they hauled out another 1,900 pounds of soda cans, Styrofoam cups, paint cans, tires and hundreds of other items. Anyone who has participated in such a clean-up effort more than once will tell you their work is never done. Clean up garbage from lakes and rivers, ditches, or illegal dumps, and next year you'll have to start all over again.
Accidents do happen.
For example, people who fish sometimes lose things over the sides of their boats. Far too much of the litter problem, however, is from people who just don't care. These are the inconsiderate people who think the world begins and ends with them, who take the attitude that when they discard something, it is no longer their problem, who mistakenly believe their fast-food wrappers or cigarette butts won't make a difference. Taken collectively, these people are bad for the community. They should be embarrassed, especially the adults, that other people have to pick up after them, like a mom after her toddler.