Let me ask you, would you put 'Miracle Grow' in your glass of water, and then drink it? Of course not! You'd say that it would be crazy and reckless to do something like that. You'd tell me that it would make you sick or even possibly kill you. So then I also ask, why are we turning a blind eye to the absurd amounts of fertilizer and waste that has been dumped into a lake, that is now destroying beaches, marinas, and ecosystems?

Florida is blessed with beautiful beaches, some that have been known as the best in the world. I've called this place home for most of my life, and couldn't imagine it being taken over by disgusting bacteria. But it has. For those who don't know of this catastrophe, it's hurting not only the animals that live in the waters contaminated by toxins, but the people who live in these areas. Florida survives off tourism, and when there's a stench that keeps you inside all day, and beaches closed due to "toxic water", you can bet that people will change their travel plans.

Many people know that I'm not the kind of person who will yell at you for not recycling, and I'm definitely a skeptic when it comes to "global warming," but this issue is caused by laziness, and that IS something to be scolded over.

This laziness stems from all levels. It begins with those who are too lazy to clean up after themselves, and leave behind their trash and waste both on the shore and out at sea. It continues with companies who are too lazy to correctly dispose of their hazardous material, so instead they dump it into main sewage systems and into man made waterways, which eventually will connect to bigger sources of natural water. It goes so far as to the government of the state, and even this country, being to lazy and to concerned with issues like "offensive language" and personal agendas to pay attention to the needed repairs to water storages, like the Herbert Hoover Dike, or the irresponsible actions of those transferring millions of gallons of toxic water into estuaries.

If we continue to be so selfish and so negligent, this state will no longer be home to beautiful marine life, it will not longer be a place you can relax or enjoy. It will become a state people leave, a place known for its putrid smell and filth. And that is not a state I want to be from.

So I ask all of you to take a little personal responsibility. Do not claim to love this place if you continuously leave behind plastic bottles after a beach day. Do not brag about living on the water if you're careless about leaving it clean. Do not be so self-centered that you can't see the problem for what it is.

Of course I know this will never reach the specific people who have caused this specific issue, but I hope this does serve as a wake up call to anyone who reads it. Know your own individual actions add up, and can be devastating in the long run. You alone can be either a positive influence, or a negative one, every single day. And this doesn't simply go for an environmental issue, but in every aspect of life. If you wouldn't want someone leaving sludge and garbage in your bedroom or kitchen, don't leave it in someone else's.