Marty’s blog

This is the kind of thing that makes me completely lose my faith in humanity.

It does make it easy to understand, though, why so many people in general don’t give a fuck about anyone else. When tragedies occur around the world, and a neighbor the other day said “Myanmar, what’s that?”

Who cares?

When people only vote “their own interests” — or what they think are their own interests. Or when they don’t vote at all. Or when New Orleans floods, and once it’s no longer covered on the nightly news it’s forgotten. Or when there is famine looming in parts of Asia, but that’s not my problem. Or when stupid presidents invade countries and cause the deaths and maiming of a few hundred thousand, but my neighbors are happy because now they’re protected from terrorists. And they have nice lawns.

So I’m thinking…who are the real terrorists? Who is the real threat to my well being?

When I explain to my neighbors that we all have shallow wells, (about 50 to 60 feet) and that the ground has good drainage, i.e. sand and gravel (glacial till) - and that whatever chemical they spray on their lawn quickly finds it’s way into the aquifer that provides the water that THEY (and we) drink - they reply that “the lawn company” says it’s okay, and if it was bad for the groundwater, the government would ban it.

They must mean the kind of government regulation that they all hate, being predominantly Republicans.

I asked another couple who sprays, and have 4 teenage kids including a daughter who might want to make more stupid babies one day, and they said that they had to do it because neighbors like me, who don’t zap my acre of dandelions, are responsible for dandelions seeds coming up in their lawn. I think what that means is that I’ll be responsible if their kids get cancer.

Another neighbor, a really nice old guy, 75 to 80, moved out here from the city 30 years ago and has been drinking the water all that time. He has had three different types of cancer in the past several years. The other day I saw him with his pump sprayer, with his own concoction, nuking his dandelions. Since he has about an acre of lawn, he must have used hundreds of gallons gallons of the stuff over the years. He doesn’t seem to think there is anything wrong. He said “if it doesn’t hurt grass, how can it hurt people?”

I decided a very lengthy explanation would probably fall on deaf ears. I just asked him to think about it.

And then one day, they’ll all be shocked when they hear the official news. OHMYGOD, there’s poison in my well!!

It’s funny though, how none of them like their picture taken when they’re spraying poison on their lawns. One young gent, with a perfect lawn in a neighboring, new cornfield subdivision was sure not happy when I approached with my camera. At least that’s how I interpreted his gesture. When I saw the Hummer in his driveway, I decided it was probably useless to solicit a conversation.