06-21-2008, 04:59 PM
My thought is that you are doing the one thing that is imperative to ever making even a little difference where this problem is concerned: you are setting the example for your son by not littering and setting an even better example by cleaning up the mess someone else has already made. "It's not my mess" = "It's not my problem" in this case and it IS the problem of all of us who truly enjoy what nature provides for us. You didn't just walk away pissed off -- you got busy and picked it up even though it wasn't your mess. You have set a stellar example for your son and for the other fisherman who pitched in to help. It would be ideal if conscience would prevent such behavior in the first place, but in my 60 years I have determined that many people have no conscience. It would be great if law enforcement would/could catch some of the offenders and make examples of them, but that would be too labor intensive for them. We picked up trash from a campsite at Pokagon State Park one time and mailed it back to the person who left it because their registration slip was still in the bag. Hopefully, that made an impression but I doubt it. And most litterbutts don't leave their names and addresses behind. Just keep doing what your doing and, just maybe, when that girlfriend comes along, your son will want to bring her along fishing!
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