Broken windows or broken people?

“Intentional littering indicates a declining society.” Dr. BLR 

This essay is about the human spirit, so I might face some pushback, but I am ready for it, so here goes. In 1982, James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, two white men—one a criminologist and the other a political scientist—proposed the “Broken Windows” theory, which argued that a visible sign of an unrepaired broken window indicates that no one cares, leading to more damage. This was eye-opening research, but over the years, it has been challenged. This essay isn’t that deep. I just want to add my own informal take and simplify it to the basic question: “Do you litter?” 

Every semester, I ask my students to evaluate whether they are simply lazy or if there's a clear reason why some do, and others don't. For the record, I don't litter and go out of my way to flick a booger into the trash or find a tissue to remove it from my nose. Sorry for the unwanted visual. 

While I know this question might get some strange looks from students who do not litter, I am not surprised by how many hands are raised when I ask it. I then immediately chide them for not caring about their neighborhoods and society at large. For some, it serves as a wake-up call, but for others, they couldn’t care less. So why do I make such a big deal of it? 

I am fortunate to live in two very different communities: one urban and one suburban. Okay, one Black and the other White. I was trying to be politically correct. Let’s start with the White community. I moved to this distinct neighborhood about seven years ago because I wanted my kids to attend a school where they could learn free from the many distractions I had grown up with. It is what it is. While I am happy with my decision, I want to take a moment to acknowledge how clean my street is and how much care my neighbors put into maintaining it. When I say that there is no trash strewn on the streets, I mean it. And by chance, if for some reason a garbage man is careless in not properly discarding the trash and some spills, it is picked up automatically by either a neighbor or someone walking their dog. What a wonderful feeling. The community, collectively, polices itself. 

Conversely, in the city where I was born and raised, it has always been a challenge, and the entire fault lies with my community. I feel bad for pointing it out, but we need to take responsibility for our actions. While I am not among the inconsiderate people who consistently throw their trash on the streets, I have to include myself because we are neighbors. 

The city offers alternate street cleaning, but it's never enough for the slobs walking up and down my street. For the record, my street has six separate blocks, and mine is by far the best-looking and most well-maintained. We have a block association that collaborates on improvement projects. Yet, that is not enough to keep it presentable.

Several years ago, I started doing a biweekly deep clean by walking up and down the street to pick up trash my neighbors had missed. I enjoy it because I care about my community and wonder why neighbors on nearby blocks don’t do the same. I’ve told my students about this, and some look at me as if I need to get a life. Oh well, they probably are the ones littering. SMH! Recently, I had my kids join me in this effort. Along the way, I explained to them the importance of community service and that we should all do our part to help each other. Of course, they wanted to know why I cared so much, and I explained that if I didn’t care about picking up the trash, it might not get done. This was a great teachable moment, and I hope they learned something. In case you’re wondering, yes, my kids are slobs and struggle to clean up after themselves, but they are still young. Fingers crossed, my obsession with cleanliness will rub off on them.

Since the Broken Windows Theory was introduced, not much has changed, and blighted neighborhoods still exist, but I will be damned if I let my childhood neighborhood become one. This issue is about “Broken People,” and we can all make a difference individually if we start caring.