When Did the Tri-Cities Become So Trashy?

You're going out for your morning walk in Howard Amon. You're taking in the beautiful morning and scenery, then you spot a garbage can with litter and bags of trash not IN the can, but around it! You think, "Are you KIDDING ME!? The can is RIGHT THERE!?" That has happened a LOT of us recently and it seems to be getting worse. People are leaving their trash in the parks all over, but even NEXT to garbage cans when there is room in the can for the trash!? How lazy is that!?

I came across a post in a Facebook group posted by Amy Hill, who had the exact experience I described above. Everyone in the group was angry about her experience, but no one seemed to know what to do to fix it. I posted in the comments asking what people thought we could do to try and find a solution. I saw several comments complaining about the issue, but very few had any ideas other than the ones I posted (some people did try and discuss possible solutions). So it that it? Is this where we are as a society? We point out problems, complain about them, but no one wants to at least TRY to fix it!?

I say no! I won't blame a generation of people, or certain "type" of person and write it off as, "Well that's how they are..." I won't just say, "People suck" and leave it at that. I honestly and completely believe that there IS a solution and that we can always learn and become better people, and take responsibility for ourselves and our community.

Maybe that's naive or I'm a dreamer, but I have faith in the Tri-Cities that most of us don't want to see our city parks and public spaces tarnished by the few who are too lazy to properly take care of their messes. So, I'm posing this to all of us: what should we do? I have a few suggestions, and please feel free to write your own in. Let's see if we can solve this. Or hey, I guess we'll just have to put up with the mess.