Letter: ‘The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching’

By Letter to the Editor on August 17, 2021.

Dear editor,

I have always had an issue with people littering. This behaviour seems to be so disrespectful to both other people and the environment. Many times this is done when ‘no one is watching.’ It’s as if the litterers are thinking, ‘If I don’t get caught, it doesn’t matter if I dump this here.’

I was driven to write this letter after watching two men dump some unknown substance into a natural coulee area. On my regular morning walk, I observed two fellows leave a backyard pushing a large industrial sized pail on a dolly. They crossed the path, and the area regularly mowed by the city, and proceeded to dump a liquid into the wild grasses in this natural park.

Outrage was the first reaction I had. I got to the area within seconds and followed the ‘spill trail’ to see a thick white substance which I believe to be paint, but it also may have been glue.

I looked over to the yard, thinking about confronting the men, when I saw they had disappeared from the yard. I couldn’t help but wonder: ‘Why does anyone think that this is OK?’ That part totally eludes me.

While I am on the topic, what about cigarette butts? Because they are small, are they considered by the ‘tossers’ to be inconsequential to the environment? It is totally disgusting to see all of the dirty butts tossed by park benches and along trails and sidewalks.

I am not a smoker, but I consider cigarette butts to be garbage. I suppose they are dirty and the people tossing them would rather not pocket this mess, but surely there are ways to legally and safely dispose of these noxious pieces of trash.

We all realize there are myriad harmful chemicals in tobacco and cigarette filters that will leach into the soil and water from these disgusting butts. Take your butts with you!

Thank you for letting me sound off about these behaviours. I will end with a quote I like, and I think of this advice anytime I feel like doing something that doesn’t quite feel right:

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” (John Wooden)