OPINION: Work to make a difference or quit whining

While there are some magical things about our "Magic City," there are others that are equally mystical.

What's magical, you ask?

Well, think back two days and recall the events of July 4. Those things didn't just happen ... people planned and worked and worked and worked to pull them off.

What about the members of American Legion Magic City Post 24? Those men and women have already worked pretty hard, wearing the various military uniforms of our nation, yet here they are, once again on the front lines as they planned — and pulled off — what many are now calling the biggest parade in the community's history.

When thanked for doing what they do, former post commander Dave Stringfield was almost embarrassed. "It's something we love to do," he said, "but thank you."

City employees worked long and hard to clean the community yet, on Monday morning, volunteers were picking up trash in a downtown area that resembled a war zone ... and hopefully, few out-of-towners drove down Border Drive, which looked as if it had been the site of a "throw the trash out the vehicle window" contest.

If you don't want the junk in your vehicle, what makes you think we want it on the street?

The efforts of so many to give so many more the enjoyment of July 4 is one of those magical moments ... but the laziness of tossing trash out the window, just like the slothful-like attitude of blaming someone else because you don't have a job when the fact of the matter is you're just too damned lazy to work ... those are some of those mystical moments.

We've watched over these past seven months as Bogalusa has started to pick up, clean up and fix up — kind of like the slogan of that longstanding help program known as "Christmas in April" — but the old girl needs help.

City employees can't do it all and, thankfully, there are citizens like Lorraine and Wayne Bourn, who walk the trail at Cassidy Park on a daily basis and, as they exercise, they pick up the trash left behind by others.

Sadly, we can't legislate pride and a lack of pride is the problem. And one of those mystical moments centers around wondering why there seems to be so much apathy in Bogalusa? Month after month, the same people complain about the same thing in the same tone of outrage and disgust.

"Why haven't you done (enter your complaint of choice here)?" they rail. Yet, there are those who sit and listen to them time after time who wonder what the complaining party has done to help effect change — other than make their appearance, much like a child at show-and-tell in school.

Ronald Reagan said we should teach people how to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and that assistance to those less fortunate should be a safety net, rather than a way of life.

In Bogalusa, perhaps it's time we adopt a bit of Mr. Reagan's philosophy and, when asked, "When you gonna fix it?", respond with, "How are you going to help us fix it?"

A community — whether a wide spot in the road or New York City — has responsibilities to those who make up its whole ... but so do the citizens to the community.

A citizen can effect change as well as anyone else and it can be as easy as stopping to pick up trash or to tear down illegally posted signs. And it truly is easy to make a difference if, when you get up in the morning, you think about making the day better for one other person instead of what you can bitch about and stir the pot over.

Be part of the solution and not the problem ... and if that won't work for you, don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out of town.

I'm for declaring Bogalusa a "no whining" zone.

JOHN H. WALKER