Editorial: Littering

The following is an editorial from FOX6 WBRC-TV General Manager Lou Kirchen, first aired on Tuesday, August 17, 2010:

The other day, I received an email from a viewer…that jogged a memory.  So, here I am a young mother again sitting in the front passenger seat of our car.  We've just finished our lunch and my two children AND my husband are passing me their empty food bags and soft drink cans…all to go in its usual place…at my feet…to be cleaned out of the car and thrown away when we get home.  As adults, my children have laughed as we've reminisced about how big the pile of trash at Momma's feet would get, depending upon how long our trip was.  
It was a small thing.  Nonetheless, they learned early on not to throw things out of the car window…not to litter.  Today, they don't litter, and THEIR children don't litter either.

I remember my first visit to Alabama…how I was struck by its stunning beauty.  It's our home…why would we trash our home?

 I think littering fines should begin at $500 per occurrence, plus a required one-mile trash pick by the offender.  By the way, that's viewer's email that I mentioned, suggested similar stiff fines.  Does that sound too tough?  What do you think?

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