On Preventing Litter: How it Benefits Everyone
Stroll through your local town in the early hours of the dawn and you will see various sweepers on the roads tidying up the mess left from all the partying of the previous night. It’s a common early morning time scene, and it frequently conceals the litter trouble we encounter. We don’t really give litter a consideration as we feel keeping the roads tidy is not our chore.
Even so, there is a sometimes imperceptible yet substantial influence litter plays on human psychology. One is more liable to believe a location is less well policed if litter is strewn around, and therefore criminals see litter as a potential signal for an opportunity of a break-in, a mugging, or car-theft. The very same sign creates some fear in other individuals who worry they may be walking through a more unsafe area and are wary of being attacked.
There’s also the influence on the aesthetic appeal of a location. Litter strewn around can make an area look unkempt even if it’s only been “abused” by people from the previous night. This can damage the reputation of an area if individuals are visiting the location for this particular time and only discover it in its untidy state.
Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to litter. There’s no purpose to throw litter if there are empty litter bins within the location. If there are no bins, or the rubbish bins that are there are stuffed, this is an issue to take up with the local council. Trashing an area has a negative impact on everybody.
Day 2: Liberia’s Presidential Race Turns into Slugfest!
AUGUST 16. Yesterday was not an easy day in Monrovia, as regular citizens quickly removed placards supporting their own presidential candidates from their cars for fear of being attacked by the Weah supporters. Political parties have begun to reshuffle their headquarters to distance themselves from the Weah candidates. Young people continue to line the roads for hours chanting, “No election, Weah got the key to the mansion.”
From the first sight of the crowd, one might think that Weah is a sure winner, but a closer look at the crowd of mostly former rebel children, some younger than age 15. Yet, another display of negative behavior unbecoming of a president in the front of the National Election Commission (NEC), for the unruly behavior in the form of singing Liberia’s national anthem, where Mr. Weah was again sanctioned $500 USD. And the ultimate devastation for the reputation of Mr. Weah, a personal attack on presidential aspirant Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), busting her windshield and pulling on her clothing. Citizens and the NEC face the biggest challenge ever of all in the control of this race, alongside the United Nations (UN), and the threat of underage, noncitizen registrants.
However, the outlook for aspirant Weah could be bleak if the CDC supporters continue to remind the country of the Taylor-like behavior of looting, insults, firing,stoning, tearing down posters and threats. Weah’s CDC supporters remain adamant about the ability of their candidate using the comparison of America’s 40th president, the late Ronald Reagan, stating he was an actor, who in- fact led America, so why can’t Liberia have a football player as president.
Citizens are registering their disbelief for this unruly behavior, as appeals go to Mr. Weah to advocate control of his supporters began ringing from text messages on local radio stations to office buildings. However, this presidential race isnot a game of intellect, as much as it is numbers, and Liberia’s youth outnumber.
Edith C. Bawn, retired U.S. Air Force now residing in Liberia working as a contractor for an international non-governmental organization.