Education is our message for healthy waters
To the editor:
This past Saturday on Fort Myers Beach we had quite the rally for clean water. It was based on education from all walks of life affected by this year’s epic Lake O runoffs.
Many of FMB did not show for the event at all. Many from the east coast of Florida in the Indian River Lagoon and St Lucie River area did, in fact, show up. Can you imagine people driving hundreds of miles across state for clean water, when some wouldn’t even walk up their own streets for clean water in their own town? As the president of our local chamber of commerce stated during his speech, ” This park should be filled with over 5,000 local FMB residents!” The rally was indeed a success as more than 200 people who care did, in fact, show up. The goal was that if one person went away more educated about our local waterways issue then before attending, then it was, of course, a success.
I personally applaud all those in attendance and those who could not make the event due to work on the island. However, for those who did not show due to whatever reason other than ignorance, I understand as well. Collective Myopia is a term I suggest looking up. It is happening right here in our own town. To turn a blind eye to any ecological disaster is a black eye in the end on our society. It is even more evident and painful to watch as our residents seem to care less about the health of our waterways than ever imagined.
We as activists will shift gears now and continue on the path of educating our youth to make our island a better place for all to enjoy and keep alive. Someone said to me recently, ” You can lead the horse to the water yet you cannot make the horse drink the water.” How true indeed those words proved to be, as we continue to lead as many as we can to the water. We now know that who is drinking it makes us believe that we have found our future for cause in our shared reality. It is never too late FMB to learn! We encourage you all as residents to learn as much as you can about our waterways and how to protect it, as our mission for clean water now continues with our greatest leaders….the youth.
John. G. Heim
Arts Activist
Fort Myers Beach