Wrap Up

The two main exigences for the Clean Water Act of 1972 were 1) the Lake Erie pollution and 2) the Cuyahoga River fires. These events illustrated the epitome of water pollution, toxicity, and damages. They were an embarrassment to the local vicinities and the United States at large. Embarrassment leads to frustration. How could we have let it get that bad? How un-American and un-patriotic of us to not care about our country enough to keep our waters clean? Frustration leads to the explosiveness of anger. The aquatic life is being harmed and, because of the cyclical nature of nature, that harm can transfer onto us human beings. How about our children?! I don't know what I'd do if something happened to them, especially if I could stop it. Something must be done!

And this is how, I feel, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Water Action organization came about. In class Joel taught us that anger is what really drives us to do something to get change to happen. Before taking this course, I would've told you that anger isn't necessary. Just out of the goodness of our hearts, we will be able to bring about change. Boy, was I wrong. We have to connect with whatever issue it is. We need to more than connect with it. We need to build an emotional bond with it. We need to treat it as if it's a part of us, and we wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt it. We have to intertwine ourselves with it. It's something that deeply affects us so that when it is threatened, the pain is gut-wrenching. This paint turns into frustration and anger.

Anger is a necessary emotion that forces us to do something. When we're happy, we feel no need to fix anything because nothing is wrong. When something is, then that is the time that we need justice to be served.

I believe that embarrassment, frustration, and anger led to the creation of the Clean Water Act and Clean Water Action organization. But encouragement and positivity among its member-based (canvassers) is what sustains it and keeps it going. Anger ignites it, but positive energy keeps the movement alive and kicking.