On our street, almost all our neighbors keep their lawn cut.
It’s the right thing to do.
It makes the neighborhood look neat and tidy and reduces the fire danger.
Unfortunately, a neighbor doesn’t mow the lawn.
It’s tall, going to seed, looks ugly and is hard on my wife’s allergies.
So, I decided that since they don’t mow theirs, I don’t need to mow mine.
My yard became an eyesore and a fire danger, and my wife’s allergies were much worse, but I’m showing “them.”
The rest of our neighbors are giving us the look, but who cares?
I don’t think it’s right that the neighbors are not taking care of their yards but I’m expected to take care of mine.
Per capita, the United States produces more carbon dioxide than any other country in the world.
President Donald Trump thinks it’s unfair that other countries get to pollute more than we do, so he has withdrawn us from the Paris climate accord.
We have now joined the small but inglorious group of “non-mowers.”
Oops, I mean uncommitted, de facto polluters, which now include the U.S.; Nicaragua, which didn’t think the accord was strong enough; and Syria, which is in the middle of a civil war.
I decided to cut my grass.
I can look the other neighbors in the eyes again, my wife is much happier, our yard looks a lot nicer and I worry less about the fire danger.
We should do what’s right, live up to our commitments and help reduce the effects pollution is having on our planet for all our sakes.
Vance Heydorn,
Port Angeles