Letters to the Editor: Long Island Progress or Destruction?

What have they done? The answer is nothing. The animals, trees, and wildflowers have done nothing wrong. We have. They just want to live as God designed them to. What has a small box turtle that eats berries, fruit and insects done wrong to us? or a chipmunk, or a little rabbit? What have the magnificent trees done so wrong to us? or the songbirds we hear each day? Nothing at all. They don't steal, lie, cheat, have a need for money, or demand their way. Man does though.

Nature is a God given creation that deserves and suppose to be here. It has a right to exist. But many have proved they don't see it that way. They, instead, see and open field or woodlands full of trees and wildlife as money. Pure and simple. They will build on it until it is exhausted of every inch of earth. They do not see beauty in nature, they see it in money and materialism. They destroy acres of land that were homes to all kinds of species, just to build another complex, or office building. Then they call it progress. I call it destruction.

Wildlife is insignificant to them; only the land they live in and on is of value. Then they make the buildings pretty by planting flowers and new trees, to cover up and hide the destruction they caused in doing so. They even build their own man-made ponds, yet neglect the natural ones that are full of garbage and debris. They're completely selfish. Man has ruined, and continues to ruin, so much goodness and beauty that God has given us.

We've ruined bays, lakes, streams, ponds, estuaries and creeks. We pollute them until one day they will not be able to sustain life in them anymore. Then one will blame the other, or else blame some species for all of it. The little children will have to resort to parks, zoos and public aquariums to see nature. The one's responsible will care little. Wildlife was insignificant now as it was then to them. They will leave here saying, "So long, your on your own."

One day people will yearn for what their parents or grandparents saw while wildlife was still to be seen around them. Their effforts to bring it back will be in vain. It is up to the property owners not to sell to the builders to begin with. It is up to the government to clean up the bays, creeks, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and streams, and not allow motorized leisure boats on them. As long as money is the only motivator, it won't happen. This is all an inconsiderate, selfish act, that mankind alone is responsible for. It will be irreversible one day, unable to sustain what was once full of life. - Ed Vermeulen

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This email was sent to the editors of LongIsland.com by a concerned Long Island resident. The views expressed are those of the author. The comment has been published as a courtesy, in an effort to open a public discussion. You are welcome to leave your comments and/or feedback about this post.