Carson River needs a caring hand

The memory of a commercial long ago depicting an old Native American with a tear rolling down his cheek comes to my mind as I drive along the Carson River.

With all of nature's wonders at the peak of the most colorful season of the year, I am blinded by the violence and destruction that has come to our own back yard.

Just a short drive downstream from the Highway 50 side of the Carson River off Deer Run Road is the harsh reality of a society influenced by aggression and a lack of caring for the environment.

It is difficult to find a colorful riverbank photo without some sort of unnatural image present in the frame. Of all the proper and environmentally sound places in the world to dispose of trash, junk cars, broken-down appliances, heartache, anger, violence and spray paint, why does it have to be down by the river?

The Carson River is a vital part of the Carson, Eagle and Dayton valleys and a valuable source of lifegiving water. It feeds plants, animals, fish and, last but not least, people downstream.

It is easy to blame the litter on careless youth, violent criminals or drugged- out losers. But can we put a face on it? It looks like our brothers, our uncles, our kids, friends, co-workers and perhaps even the neighbor next door.

But the hard cold truth is, we are doing it ourselves. With the violence and chaos that has become a part of our everyday society, we have, in essence given the ugliness permission. Permission to litter, deface and destroy our natural resources.

Certainly, we could not have had a hand in this ourselves. Or is it all just a simple cry for help? A need to express our anger, our fear, our desire to somehow leave our mark, if not on the world, at least on the banks of the Carson River.

Bill Husa is a Nevada Appeal photographer.