You are driving on the interstate, destination set, with time on your side. You fumble in your purse for a piece of gum, unwrap it, and toss the paper out the window. Too many times we have all been guilty of littering. Admit it, sometime, some place you have thrown something out the window of your car, without thinking, without hesitation, without caring.

Yesterday my husband was driving us home from our granddaughters birthday celebration. From the passengers seat, I was actually overcome with sadness seeing all the trash on the roadsides and the fence lines. Spring is nearly here, wildflowers are beginning to pop up, and there is trash laying along our roadways. America is becoming a huge garbage dump.

Years ago there was a commercial on television, an American Indian had a tear rolling down his cheek, as he spoke of the "destruction of his land" from littering. That commercial had such an impact of me as a young person, that I not only stopped littering, I forced my friends and family to follow my lead. Many times it was a battle hard fought.

Maybe,in the back of my mind, reveling about my granddaughter turning nine. Concerned about her future on this planet is what spurred me in to this realization. Americans are becoming less concerned about our land. Or maybe it was just the total disgust at mankind for their lack of concern about our environment.

Why must we litter? How difficult is it to put that gum wrapper, or that paper cup in a bag in our car, and then put it in our garbage can when we return home? It take the same amount of energy to put trash in a bag on the floor of your car, as it does to roll down the window.

America needs to wake up and look at how and where we live. Some feel there issues more important than littering. The price of gasoline for one. But, what if the price of gas rises so high we are forced to walk more. Would we then stop littering because we surely don't want to step on or over some one else's trash? What happened to the pride our forefathers had in our land?

I think each of us needs to take responsibility for littering and stop it. If you could close your eyes and visualize our lakes and streams free of bottles and paper dotting the shoreline. If only you could imagine driving, and looking out the window seeing grass and flowers growing along the roadside instead of soda cans, McDonald's wrappers and plastic bags. Perhaps, then you would stop tossing your trash out the window.

I am not on a "soap Box" or "band wagon" trying to get recognized. I am concerned about the future for my children and grandchildren. I want a clean America, I want to feel proud when I look out my window. I want to see nature at it's best, not someone else's garbage blowing in the wind.

I know there is a lot of crime in our country, but littering "is" also a crime. It is against the law and it is ruining our planet. In a perfect world, law enforcement would write a ticket to everyone who littered. In that perfect world it would cost you five hundred dollars each time you threw that gum wrapper, or plastic bag out the window. Knowing that, how many times do you suppose it would take to break the habit of littering across America?

Sadly, It is not a perfect world, and there are many issues important to all of us. War, the economy, unemployment are on the top of the list.

Wake up America! Littering should be one of those issues.

Learn more about this author, Kristie Dunlap.
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