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City cleanups put sheen on community spirit
Published November 19, 2009
Cleanliness is next to godliness, “they” say — usually it comes from a pulpit or as a stern parental admonishment to “make sure you wash behind your ears!”
The phrase was etched into posterity thanks to a 1778 sermon by John Wesley, but dates back to Hebrew religious writings and ancient Babylon, according to yourdictionary.com.
Cleanliness, too, is one of the ways we judge others, our approval consciously or unconsciously going up when we see unsoiled clothes free of wrinkles or hair that doesn’t have Chevron asking if it can start pumping.
Litter on the roadside or unkempt medians also can shade our perceptions of a city. Communitywide cleanups not only can whip a town into presentable shape, but provide a good way to measure the mettle of a city and its volunteers.
A spirit of cleanliness certainly was on display Saturday, when Brazoria County cities including Clute, Lake Jackson and West Columbia hosted fall cleanups. In addition, electronic waste, old tires, batteries and motor oil were collected at various county sites, including Alvin, Angleton and Brazoria.
Volunteers spread out for chores such as picking up litter, painting fire hydrants and beautifying landscapes. Plus there were plenty of support types such as Brazoswood High School student Jessica Pham. She was on hand to pass out T-shirts to volunteers, saying, “I like being part of the community.”
Science shows the response to clean and pleasant surroundings goes beyond the skin-deep surface. Recent research out of Brigham Young University in Utah links clean smells and better behavior.
According to a study led by a BYU professor for a Psychological Science magazine article, “people are unconsciously fairer and more generous when they are in clean-smelling environments.” By shooting a few sprays of citrus-scented cleaner into the air, researchers said they were able to trigger a marked increase in ethical behavior.
BYU assistant professor Katie Liljenquist was the lead author; she was joined by professors from the University of Toronto and Northwestern University.
Liljenquist suggested the findings might have family applications. “Could be that getting our kids to clean up their rooms might help them clean up their acts, too,” she joked, adding the study’s data makes a persuasive argument for how much we “rely upon cleanliness cues to make a wide range of judgments about others.”
Previously, Liljenquist and a colleague published work showing a close link between morality and physical cleanliness, a 2006 article in Science saying transgressions activated a desire to be physically cleansed.
So keep in mind that when you grab an empty drink cup on the sidewalk, you’re not merely picking up litter, you’re joining the battle of good versus evil.
Area city halls have walls loaded with well-deserved beautification awards. The cities bustle with turnout during their spring and fall cleanups. We all benefit from these projects and the hard work of volunteers. When it comes down to it, another old saying comes to mind: Pretty is as pretty does.
Today’s editorial was written by Glenn Krampota, Brazos Living editor of The Facts.
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