One of the underlying themes of human history involves the tensions that are generated when clusters of individuals coalesce into larger communities. Social creatures that we are, most of us prefer to live in proximity to our fellows so that we might enjoy the social and economic benefits that living within a community confers. But, to varying degrees, we are all fractious, quarrelsome, self-seeking, noisy and messy.

The “livability” of a community is proportional to the willingness of all of its residents to abide by certain standards that make it possible for them to coexist in relative harmony. One of these standards involves the respectful treatment of public spaces that are held, used and enjoyed by all of the community’s members.

In Natchez, unfortunately, treating public spaces with respect is a concept that eludes far too many of our residents. Each day I am confronted by unsightly evidence that confirms this sad fact. There are too many among us simply who don’t care about the impact of their actions on the appearance and environment of our city and county.

I live on Cemetery Road. The catalog of waste and litter on my street is probably no different than on many other streets in town — discarded Styrofoam fast food containers and cups, empty liquor bottles and 40-ounce beer cans, soiled disposable diapers and, once, the carcass of a large dog that had been suffocated by a garbage bag tied over its head. It frustrates me when I regularly observe neighbors of mine from nearby subdivisions blithely tossing garbage from their vehicles as they drive down Cemetery Road.

The problem is pervasive. Drive down Airport Road, Kingston Road or almost any road in the county and the amount of trash defies comprehension. Walk down Broadway or Main Street on a Saturday or Sunday morning and observe the empty and broken beer bottles in the vicinity of almost every bar and club.

This, however, represents only the trash that is readily visible. The city and county are pocked with dozens of illegal dumping sites, created on the spur of the moment by those who are too lazy to haul their waste to the two sites in the county where they can dispose of it at no charge. There is almost a pathological intensity in the way these cretins savage the land with their castoff appliances, furniture and toxic household chemicals. Our little corner of the world is awash in a torrent of hazardous filth and non-degradable waste. It is demoralizing, and it diminishes the quality of life in Natchez. It does not reflect well upon us as a community.

The good news is that there are individuals in Natchez who care deeply enough about the appearance of our city to take personal action. Many mornings I see citizens like Jim Sanders, or the gentleman who walks the median on Melrose-Montebello Parkway, patrolling the streets for litter. In addition, the labor of the county inmates who pick up trash throughout the city is also helping to reduce the visual impact of the trash, and it is appreciated. Yet these are topical remedies that do not address the deeper issues of finding ways to reduce the solid waste stream generated by our community, and eliminating illegal dumps.

Not long ago, Natchez had a recycling program. Bins for the collection of bottles, cans and other recyclables were placed in locations throughout the city. Each bottle and can that made it into a bin was one less piece of roadside trash in the community. I don’t know what became of the program, but I do believe the time has come for all of us who live in Natchez and Adams County to rededicate ourselves to cleaning up our public spaces.

The approach to accomplishing this has to be two-pronged. We need to become better educated about the real costs we incur when we trash our local environment. And a viable program of recycling has to be developed and implemented. I would like to suggest this as a potential project idea for such organizations as Community Alliance to take up as they consider ways in which Natchez residents can become proactive in improving the quality of life in their city.

In the meantime, I’d like to encourage all of us to clean up our act. Trashy people trash Natchez.

Tom Scarborough is a Natchez resident.