Oct 11 2008
in which I briefly address political double standards, or something
So I’m a conservative, and I’m used to being surrounded by liberals; it’s an occupational hazard of attending a secular university. Coming here was a bit of a surprise that way–I think I’d read that Britain was more liberal and more secular than America, but even my casual conversations with my flatmates has confirmed that. Everybody thinks Palin’s scary and Bush is evil, and there’s the usual emphasis on “green” everything–you know, turn off the lights when you leave the room, recycling bins all over, more than one society focused on conservation, etc., etc.
And yet? These progressive, liberal students leave the Square and the dorm walkways looking like crap. Beer bottles, beer cans, even beer glasses litter the square–people just leave them behind, because…what, it’s too hard to cross the square and toss it in the recycling bin or at least throw it out? The walkway and areas nearby around Norfolk Terrace, where I live, shows that an awful lot of people just leave their cigarette packs, beer cans, and beer bottles when they’re done with them, instead of–again–taking them inside to throw out.
So at one point, I got so disgusted by it that I took a largeish plastic bag and filled it to the top with beer cans and bottles that people had left lying around, just on our building’s walkway, and dumped it in our kitchen’s recycle bin. I will admit that gave me a rather satisfying sense of superiority, especially since it was kind of gross.
It doesn’t make sense, though. I’m the most conservative member of our flat, probably one of the most conservative in this whole place. How’d I end up as the flat’s recycling Nazi?
