Journal entry 3

Summary and Response to “Talking Trash” by Andy Rooney:
In Andy Rooney’s essay “Talking Trash”, he brings up the issue of Americans being wasteful. He does this by writing about his trip to the dump and grocery store and commenting on things he notices and pointing out facts of how we as Americans and even himself are wasteful. He points out how much garbage New York City makes and where most of it comes from is packaging. He then ask what will happen if we continue dumping garbage and using up all our non renewable resources.
Response:
Andy Rooney makes some good points in his essay “Talking Trash”, such as that we are wasteful people and that we are using up all our national resources and not really trying to reuse the land. He points all this out but all he does in complain and does not offer a solution the problem. Instead he offers an “oh well” Attitude.
Rooney tries to show that we as Americans our wasteful by giving an account of his Saturday trip to the city dump. He describes that he has a carload of news papers, bottle, cans, etc. He then base his experience that we are wasteful. The funny thing is that pretty much every that he is dumping is actually recyclable. He complains about the amount of trash but what is he doing in the story? He’s dumping garbage. He personally is not doing anything about this problem. It for this reason I believe that he is a hypocrite.
It’s a good thing that he’s pointing the problem out and even saying that he’s part of it, but he doesn’t do anything besides complains. He could at least talk about recycling, or at least offer ways for Americans to be less wasteful. This problem was caused by our generation, his generation and the ones before it and now we have to live with it. He offers this “oh well” attitude by doing this, as if he knows that it’s a problem but it won’t affect him in the long run. Instead it will fall upon the future generations.
Overall, Rooney’s essay is effective at pointing out the problems with our wasteful society. His story helps him to relate to everyone and get his message across. The only thing wrong is that he offers and “oh well” attitude, which is doesn’t help to solve the problem.