I remember the commercial, do you?

There was a scene of a Native American, (we used to call them Indians way back then); sadly looking over pollution and a trash strewn landscape as a tear fell slowly down his cheek. The message:

Keep America Beautiful; DON?T LITTER!

As a naive kid back then I got the message loud and clear along with the other message on the side of my pack of Marlboro's. Stop throwing crap out of the car window and on the ground and while you?re at it; stop smoking, it causes cancer.

By the way, what ever happened to those "litter bags" that people used to hang from their cigarette lighters?

Yesterday while fishing at a local state park; I couldn?t help but sadly notice LOTS of discarded soda cans and candy wrappers left behind along the lake by slobs. While a Pennsylvania State Park may hardly be considered the ?great outdoors? by most; it IS the great outdoors for many. How come this life?s lesson; along with the smoking one has been lost on so many of today?s youth?

I know that possibly some of this discarded garbage was left behind by adults, but they may be my age which means they SAW "the commercial". If the offenders were adults but not old enough to remember the "crying Indian"; why didn?t THEIR parents tell THEM about the commercial?

While litter is wrong no matter where it happens; it is a particular egregious activity in an area that is SUPPOSED to be enjoyed for its natural beauty. I can only imagine what the trash dumpers backyards look like; but maybe they don?t $#!+ in their own playground, just mine.

While I don?t want to argue cause and effect or the possible sociological and economic reasons for littering and whether it is related to slovenliness, political affiliation or video games; I do want to plead to the parents of this country that the anti littering message of my youth seems to have been lost in amongst all of the other more trendy and ?worldly? messages out there. It just doesn?t seem to be as taboo to litter as it USED to be?

?I mean, somebody will eventually pick it up?right?

Oh yea, and while you are at it; teach your kids that smoking is bad for them too. The sight of $6 a pack cigarette smoke coming from the lungs of 20-somethings blows me away. I guess that warning label was a useless message too?

I never thought 30 years after I saw the Indian crying instead of a Marlboro commercial on TV; that I'd see a cigarette smoking kid throwing a candy wrapper on the ground.

Oh well, I guess I'm still naive.

?end of rant?