By Barry Pearson
We just returned from Denmark and noticed how clean the streets are. We couldn’t even find a cigarette in the gutter–amazing. We Americans toss everything onto the streets of our cities with many never giving this flaw a second thought.
Denmark was the only country that appeared this clean, though I'm told Singapore and Montreal share the same cleanliness. It’s not only the clean and well-kept streets, but no trashcans are seen in the front yards of homes, either. Unsightly manufacturing facilities are enclosed in trees and large bushes surround those grounds, shielding them from one's eyes. It actually shows that pride of ownership and community can exist for the good of everyone.
Patch can help with eyes all around Rosemont and other communities, including freeways, to be the silent policeman informing those who litter that we are all watching to improve our city streets where we live. Trash abounds in Sacramento and local communities, keeping CalTrans busy sweeping the streets rather than repairing them.
People are the clue to success by simply watching other people making mistakes and correcting the problem at that moment. Self-policing, if you will.
Can a community like Rosemont have a sense of pride? A sense of pride in America seems to come from cities that are prosperous with a stronger education base. Lesser neighborhoods reflect their background. Its like raising children–lax parents will more than likely raise kids that lack standards. It’s not always the case, but Sacramento has a very good cross section.
It’s hard to analogize the separation of extremes in Sacramento. Why? Picking affluent neighborhoods like Beverly Hills or San Marino could show a real difference. Age plays a factor too, if the adults mature properly and were raised with guidelines.
All I can offer is when in Germany even those who owned small homes in poor neighborhoods seemed to keep up their properties using flowers and neatness as a rule. So, money in itself need not be available to still have and show pride of ownership. In a way education and cerebral intake are complex studies and now we are getting too far away from the simple issues.
Sincerely,
Barry Pearson
[Editor's note: Rosemont Patch welcomes letters to the editor. ]
