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Is the state of the city a reflection of us?

Jun 08, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
In light of the current clean-up campaign and the enthusiasm of the general public to once again support a new beginning, I am moved to introduce the topic of maintenance.
We are all aware of the many clean up campaigns that have been initiated over the years and by now should be able to see the trends associated with such efforts.
Though commendable, they are not with some amount of disappointment and frustration.
When one week after the area that you spent hours picking plastic and litter from the long weeds not to mention cutting grass and weeding, is now strewn with fresh garbage by some uncaring member of the community, one cannot deny the feelings of defeat that might follow.
This is then followed by cries that the populous ‘just don’t care’.  The state of the city is a reflection of us.  But is it? Are we inherently untidy and dirty people?
From my limited vantage point I venture to say no we are not. And here are the reasons to support this.  Beautifully maintained and clean Morris Oxfords are still on the streets.
Very few but I have seen at least two in Georgetown. Tapir buses are run up and down the Corentyne Coast providing service to the people.
Now we all know that these vehicles must be over 35 years old and though many parts have been replaced, the chassis have been preserved and lots of effort and discipline were required to keep these cars alive. These are not actions of uncaring people.
Many homes sport gardens with flowering plants thoughtfully placed along fences so that the pretty flowers can be seen from the street.
Potted plants are lined up everywhere. These require lots of attention. We care as citizens for these finer things in life and we go after them.
Our children are neat, clean and well brushed. Hair neatly cut or tightly braided – no fly-away bits, sometimes even at the end of the school day. Even the young kids do some tidying in the restroom during the school day to continue to be presentable.
What this tells me is that as a people we have the propensity and appreciation for preservation and order.
We do value some level of decorum and standard but we are greatly unsupported. For example we were recently told that the flood on Sunday May 30 was as a result of many things all related to maintenance – Kokers, pumps and drains not functioning, unmaintained and completely neglected.
So why are we as citizen burdened with these atrocities? Why is our environment so untidy and dilapidated? Why are we not being met halfway in this civilized society that we share?
Who preserves the common areas outside our fences – the roads, parapets, drains, parks, gardens, monuments, wharves and stellings that we all share? These all belong to us.
The infrastructure is paid for and owned by the citizens. Why as citizens do we regularly wash our cars, clean our homes, sweep the bottom house – daily in this case might I add, tend to our plants, yet when we leave our homes we have to traverse filth and long grass and homeless people sleeping on the streets and stray dogs? Who does not care? I can tell with certainty that I care as a citizen. I am confident that we all care.
I am therefore appealing to the people that are responsible for our common areas to reflect on their homes, their private spaces and bring dignity back to all of us by creating cities that we all can feel proud.
Creating areas that we can all share and enjoy. Remember, like our homes and gardens, cities need to be cleaned and tended to daily.
Carole Fletcher

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