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 Paper or Plastic?
There I was standing in the check out line at a local Publix when the young teenage bagger said to me, "Paper
or plastic?" On its face it was a simple, seemingly meaningless question, but, when considered in the context of society today, the choice between paper and plastic
suggests one of our greatest flaws. As a society, we have embraced the concept of disposability. No longer are people responsible for what they do, and because of that
many concepts in life have been cheapened. We live in a "paper bag" society in which all that we hold dear is as
valuable to us as the disposable paper sacks we get at the grocery store.
Paper? Coming from a "broken home" I have had first hand experience with the
disposability that our society has embraced. My freshman year of high school I received one
of the biggest shocks of my life. My father sat me down and told me that he was leaving. He
said that he no longer loved my mother and was filing for divorce. The sad thing is that my
story is not an abnormality. In America we have one of the highest divorce rates of any
nation; 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. While in some cases divorce is definitely
an appropriate action due to such problems as physical or psychological abuse, in many
cases divorce is simply a result of society's acceptance of disposability. Nobody thinks about
the impact of their actions; they just do what makes them feel good. Get married, have some
kids, and then just leave it all behind. No responsibility or commitment is necessary anymore. We just let things go.
Plastic? For further evidence take a look at American patriotism. This is one value that
we, as a society, pick up and drop faster than a hot potato. When we need our country we
will flock to its side and pretend to support it through thick and thin, but as soon as we are
satisfied, we dispose once again of our allegiance. September 11 displayed this tendency
best of all. After the attacks, millions waved their flags, and wore their colors. They
proclaimed themselves "patriots" and cried out for war. Although the further we get away
from that day, it is more and more noticeable how disposable that sense of patriotism was.
Trivial court decisions over the pledge as well as the massive wave of anti-American sentiments concerning the war on Iraq are but a few examples of the disposability of
patriotism in society.
Canvas Bag. This disposability which we have embraced as a nation needs to change. It
is this mindset that justifies our wanton destruction of the environment, our lack of morality,
and the ultimate destruction of family life and the very fabric which makes our society strong.
We should be embracing and teaching family values and patriotism to our children, instilling in
them a sense of morality and respect. We should be changing our consumer culture, to one
that preserves the treasures around us. Economic growth, expansion, and modernization,
while beneficial, need to be accomplished with respect for the environment and things of
cultural importance. As a society I believe we need to change for our sake and the sake of our children.
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