A recent letter to the editor featured in reverejournal.com included some insightful commentary on the issue of littering on Revere Beach:

“This is a call to action to all you hardcore Revere beach lovers out there. I know who you are, I see you strolling the beach in the morning, early, when the sea is calm and and the warm sun is rising in the sky spreading beads of light bobbing across the waters surface like twinkling diamonds.

Fishing boats slowly tug their way out to the point of infinity where they fade off into the horizon. We breath in the ocean air as deeply into our lungs as possible so that it will flourish within us the whole day and we appreciate the music of the ebb and flow with its power of balance as we pass one another and share a smile or a nod. This is our morning reflection. This is our history. This is our beach.

This is our beach before the crowds have descended upon it like a swarm of locusts leaving behind a sea of trash and debris scattered about as if a flying dumpster exploded overhead. Our Reservation, the walls, the sand, the sidewalk and the shelters all littered by visitors who are too lazy to walk to a barrel and dispose of their own rubbish.

Visitors who have total disregard for the history of our beach or our deep parental love for it. Revere beach is our baby. This infuriates me. How does this phenomenon happen over and over again every weekend? Partially, because we let it happen. The crews do a good job of cleaning the beach after the devastation, but what about prevention?

We have signs painted along the wall that say “No dogs allowed on beach.” Every six feet we are reminded of this law. If we had painted signs that say “No Littering, fines will be enforced” maybe that would deter people from dissing our beach. We also have to call people out when we see them litter. If you take a ride up along Lynn Shore Drive and Swampscott, you won’t see trash. People picnic on Red Rock Park and they walk with ice cream and water bottles. But no trash on the ground. One reason is because nobody wants to throw a piece of paper on a pristine beach. And over there someone would call them out on it… Embarrass them. It’s all about respect.

When you see someone litter, first you have to give them “the face,” you know, the look your mother gave you when you answered back an adult or threw a gum wrapper on someone’s property. I have been practicing this face for many years with my own son and with anyone I see littering. It’s a combination of utter disgust and surprise with a slight touch of “What are you thinking?”

Sometimes it works on it’s own, especially with kids. But the hardcore trash spewer needs to be called out. So my call to action is for all you Revere Beach lovers to fight for your beach.

Call the mayor’s office, call your councilman, call the DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) @ 617-626-1270 and ask them to paint signs and enforce the littering laws. You can also send an e-mail to mass.parks.@state.ma.us. The cleaner our beach becomes the less likely people will be to trash it. It’s all about respect. Individually we can make a difference but together we can make an impact. Let’s go for it. And by the way Broadway could use a good cleaning too. It looks disgusting.”

Raina Morgan

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Editorial above appears courtesy of The Revere Journal.