Dear Editor,
I am a DUMPSTER DIVER!
In response to recent comments demeaning (and even threatening) our local dumpster divers on Facebook and other social media sites, I wish to defend and honor those who believe ?that one man?s garbage is another man?s treasure.?
In Lincoln County, we live in a world of overabundance and ease. Gone are the days of our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who lived through the Great Depression or other difficult times. They lived in poverty and through their need learned to waste not, want not. They lived by the concept:
?Use it up; Wear it out; Make it do or Do without.?
Those days are gone. This is a new day?a day of Wal-Marts and Dollar Stores. We buy things cheaply, so cheaply that we find it is easier to replace rather than repair. As a result, good, useful and even valuable items are thrown away without a thought.
Each of us has stood at the edge of the garbage bin searching what others have thrown away. Some of us see and smell only filth, and we wonder which of our neighbors? crap stinks the most. Others can see through the stench and recognize an item with potential, yet still, they lack the courage to retrieve it for fear of what others may think. Then there are the few?those who not only recognize an item?s worth but who are also willing to rescue the item and try to restore it. These are the dumpster divers! Those willing to get dirty. Those willing to look beyond appearances. Those willing to put effort into reviving or recycling something, regardless of what others say.
Going a step further, how different do we treat our trash from the people around us? There are men, women, and children in our community who feel they are nothing more than garbage. They are worn out by life; chewed up by addiction; and discarded by friends and family. These people are broken and may appear to be of no value. Instead of making even the smallest effort to repair them, the community casts them aside and buries them in even more garbage through name calling, derogatory remarks, rumors and false accusations. Yet even in this world of negativity and filth, there are more dumpster divers! Divers who see beyond the grit and grime, the smell and stench, the dents and dings that drag people down. The Divers see the person for who they are and who they may become. The Divers jump in with both feet and rescue the discarded. With kind words, the Divers repair piece by piece that which was br0ken. With praise and encouragement, a polish and shine are restored. When we offer a job or other opportunity, a feeling of usefulness and value is renewed.
None of us knows the full value and potential of something or someone.
To the dumpster divers who literally and physically are waist deep in trash, I commend you! I have been there and I have done that. The world needs more people willing to work (no matter what the job!) to reclaim items of value to support themselves.
To those who rescue a person from societal rubbish without thought of any reward?YOU ARE MY HEROES! We live in a world full of hate and misguided belief that one person is more deserving or more entitled than another. This is not true! Every person has value! Every person needs a kind word or a hand up! Every person is a treasure!
May we all strive to be DUMPSTER DIVERS!
Dylan V. Frehner
Panaca
Dear Editor,
I am opposed to the Gold Butte and Basin & Range monuments because they bring very little return except to certain special interests?companies selling outdoor gear who lobby endlessly for more monuments and wilderness areas, all taxpayer subsidized. More land set aside means that gen. xrs and Millennials will buy more backpacks, tents, boots, mountain bikes and high-end clothing for their treks. See how it works? These items should be taxed additionally up to 10 percent with money going to the U. S. Forest Service or the BLM to help maintain recreation areas.
Similar taxes for specific outdoor sports already exist for hunters who pay 10 percent on guns and ammunition. Fishermen pay a 10 percent tax on boats and fishing gear. A 10 percent excise tax on the untaxed above-mentioned items could in short time wipe out the current maintenance backlog in parks and monuments.
Note also the big one- and two full-page advertisements in area newspapers, as well as Robo-calls. Why is so much money being spent? Follow the money headed to Patagonia et al.
Stanley Paher
Reno