By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Thou shalt not create cigarette litter
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Placeholder Image
It is estimated that several trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year. That's billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, roadways, beaches, nature trails, gardens and other public places every single day. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America and the world. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, not cottom as many believe. They can take decades to degrade. Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most picturesque settings, but the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment. Littered butts also cause numerous fires every year — some of which are fatal. So, cigarettes can be hazardous to your life in more ways than one.
We are currently working on ways to reduce cigarette litter in Liberty County. Our focus area for our campaign is downtown Hinesville. Recently, with the help of Scout Troop 420, we did a test scan of only two blocks of the downtown area and we picked up 990 butts. Now, I work in this area and I can tell you that the city maintenance folks are always cleaning around here, so those 990 butts accumulated in just a matter of a couple of days.
I know everyone has strong feelings about smoking or not smoking, but I can’t get into that discussion.  Smoking is a personal choice and as long as someone’s smoke or litter does not impose on everyone else’s space, then a smoker of adult age has the right to make that choice. Although I will say that I no longer have any living relatives who smoke, I do have friends and co-workers who do. I must respect their choices.
We just need to expect those who do smoke to follow some basic ground rules for disposing of cigarette litter. I searched many sources from Emily Post to the Bible and came across these ‘ancient records’ …  Okay, so in reality the following “Ten Commandments” may not be as significant or as ‘set in stone’ as the original “Ten C’s,” but I hope if you are a smoker, you will recognize their importance in wiping out the cigarette pollution in our community.
The Ten Commandments for Cigarette Litter
I. Thou shalt not toss your used cigarette butt on the ground.
II. Thou shalt not flick your cigarette butt out the car window as you drive down the road.
III. Thou shalt not throw your empty cigarette package on the ground.
IV. Thou shalt never use other venues like toilets and sinks to dispose of your cigarette butts either.
V. Thou shalt not empty your car ashtray on the ground either.
VI. Thou shalt never, ever toss your cigarette litter in a storm drain or a creek, lake, river or ocean.
VII. Thou shalt make sure if you are a business owner or manager that there are adequate cigarette receptacles in designated smoking areas and transition points around your business, like doors and parking lots.
VIII. Thou shalt make sure that if you are a local city or county government that you have adequate cigarette receptacles in public locations, like parks.
IX. Thou shalt dispose of your cigarette litter in a cigarette litter receptacle and not in parking lots, on sidewalks, or in business doorways.
X. Thou shalt always carry a pocket ashtray with you to use when you are on the run. These are available free by contacting Keep liberty Beautiful at 368-4888 or at local downtown businesses.
Cigarette litter is something we can all live without, so remember the Ten Commandments!
Current Keep Liberty Beautiful projects that need your involvement:
Aug. 16, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Recycle It! Fair in Midway at the Midway Fire Department. Start sorting your electronics, household paint, old cell phones, and batteries now to turn in. Clean out your closets and storage room to recycle items you no longer use. The fair is sponsored by the Midway Volunteer Fire Department, Goodwill Industries and Keep Liberty Beautiful. Call 368-4888 for information.
May-Aug. 29: Cigarette Litter Prevention Project. Do you hate to see that nasty cigarette butts trashing our sidewalks and roadways? If so, then call to get involved in this awareness project to get those ‘butts’ off the street! Contact Sara Swida at Keep Liberty Beautiful or Vickie Davis at the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority.
If you smoke and would like a free ‘pocket ashtray,’ contact 368-4888 to pick one up. Dispose of cigarette litter appropriately.
Rivers Alive in Liberty County is scheduled for Oct. 25. Mark the date on your calendar now to help with this annual event.
Liberty County: Home of the World’s Largest Crayon. Please help us make this Guinness Book of World Records project a reality by calling 368-4888 or e-mailing biglibertycrayon@yahoo.com. We have more than 700 pounds of crayons now, but we need your help as we collect even more used crayons to create this giant crayon this fall.

For more information on Keep Liberty County Beautiful programs, contact Swida at 368-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.com.

Sign up for our e-newsletters
Visit with children a real eye-opener
Placeholder Image

One of my favorite activities as a state senator is when I get to speak to students at our local schools. This year, I spoke to third-grade students at May Howard Elementary and Marshpoint Elementary in Chatham County and Button Gwinnett Elementary in Liberty County.
The students from each of the schools had been studying civics and were familiar with the three branches of government — executive, judicial and legislative. I explained my role as a senator in the legislative process and told the children how the citizen legislature in the state of Georgia works.
Presenting each of the schools with a Georgia state flag, I explained the three principles for which the state flag stands — wisdom, justice and moderation — and had them recite the pledge to the flag with me. 
The students at all three schools were bright, respectful and well-disciplined — a tribute to their families and especially to their teachers, who had prepared the students for my visit with ideas for great questions.
The students in Ms. Hutchinson’s class at Marshpoint Elementary were impressive in singing the preamble to the Constitution during my visit. What a great way to learn such an important part of our nation’s history — another wonderful example of the great job our teachers are doing.
I was delighted last week to receive thank-you letters from some of the students. Here are excerpts from a few of their letters:
 
Dear Mr. Carter,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come speak to us. I learned so much! I learned that there are two kinds of Pledge of Allegiances. That is pretty cool.
Do you travel all over the world do you? I really like that you taught me more about the three branches of government.
— Megan
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
Thank you for telling us about your job and your favorite thing about your job. I liked the Georgia state flag. I still have more questions. Do you have to work on Saturday and Sunday? Are you the only one who makes the laws?
Yours truly,
Ryleigh 


Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and letting us have a little bit of your time. I want you to know that I learned something new. The Georgia pledge! Justice, wisdom and modesty! Thanks again!
— Liam
 
Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and helping us learn more about the government and some of your job. Thank you for giving us a Georgia flag. It was fun when you came. Thank you for giving us some questions so we could answer them.
P.S. Did you ride in a limousine? I was going to ask you a question but then I forgot. But now I remember. How many rooms are there where you work? You can send me a note if you can.
Your friend,
Erin
 
I’m uncertain whether the students learned as much from me during my visit as I learned from them. One thing that I was reminded of was the honesty that comes from the innocence of childhood. I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret some of the questions, such as the one asked in this letter:
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
I loved your speech. Thanks for coming to our school. I think my favorite part was when we held the flag. It was so fun! I have a question: How many people voted for you?
Sincerely,
Shelly
 
I also was more than a little concerned about a recurring question in the thank-you notes that was posed to me during one of my visits by a beautiful, brown-eyed girl who, with a very serious look on her face, asked “Did you ever get re-elected be-fore?”


What a great group of young people! My faith and hope in our future has been reassured. What an amazing job our families and teachers are doing on a daily basis to support and encourage our next generation. Thank you for your dedication to teaching our leaders of tomor-row.

Sen. Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109

Latest Obituaries