Dear Editor,

I was at a traffic light recently and watched the person in front of me throw a soda can out of her window onto the side of the street. If I had not been going in a different direction, I would have followed her and asked her what she was thinking. The absolute inconsideration and nerve of this person had me seething all day.

I pick up trash nearly every day when I walk my dog. I have also participated in organized efforts led by Amy Carmichael and Miah Jackson to clean up around my neighborhood and other areas of the city.

It is so disheartening to see the trash appear all over again the next day. It’s kind of a joke (not a funny one) to say that the distance from McDonald’s to my street is a Big Mac and fries, because the wrappers for those are what is thrown out onto the street, along with pizza boxes, dirty diapers, and a lot of other disgusting trash.

I applaud those who have tried to correct the problem. The Selma Recycles program started by a young black teenager is awesome and should be taken advantage of by everyone.  This young man is a wonderful example of what we should all be doing for our city and our environment in general.

But, how does the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority encourage new industries/business to come to an area that doesn’t care about its appearance? If you were to drive through Selma with your eyes wide open and not knowing the people, would you want your family to live here? First impressions are so important!

I grew up in a town the size of Selma, and have lived in several similar places, but cannot remember ever being so appalled with the total apathy about our city’s appearance. I choose to live here because I believe in Selma’s potential and the people who care about it. There are so many who want to make Selma better, but how do we fight someone throwing trash out of their car? How does it get ignored that 2 blocks from my home, there is a pile of beer/soda cans/plastic bottles thrown into a place designated for lawn debris, which maybe gets picked up once every 3 months?

There are a lot of unemployed people here. Why not reach out to them, pay them minimum wage to clean up our streets? Provide garbage bags and drop-off sites. Let’s do what we can to instill some pride and responsibility in our community. Let’s make the Queen City earn her crown and be proud to invite people here.

I am but one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

What I can do, I ought to do.

What I ought to do, by the Grace of God I can do.

Lord, what would you have me do?

Manera S. Searcy

Selma