"We are hurting ourselves collectively": trash cans thrown on the ground and vandalism in Sant Joan
The City Council denounces uncivilized behaviors such as damage to landscaping, misplaced dirt, and acts of vandalism, and appeals to recover the sense of community
Saint JohnTrash cans thrown on the ground, misplaced dirt, and damage to public space. Sant Joan has had enough of a series of uncivil behaviors that, according to the City Council, not only degrade the municipality but also affect the sense of community.
Vandalism against public space and uncivil conduct continue to be present in the municipalities of Pla de Mallorca. In Sant Joan, the City Council has been forced to speak out. “It is sad and worrying to see how, in Sant Joan, uncivil behaviors are occurring that not only damage spaces but also the emotional fabric of our town”, they point out from the council in a publication that aims to appeal to collective consciousness.
Among these practices, there is a lack of awareness regarding waste collection, which in Sant Joan, as in all of Pla de Mallorca, is selective and door-to-door, and also has the green point service. Trash bags are found in public bins, vehicle remains in the street, bags with buried dog excrement, among others. On the other hand, acts of vandalism against public landscaping have also been perpetrated, planters that beautified the facade of the Casa de la Vila thrown to the ground, or stones have been thrown at a path.
All this occurs in a context in which, precisely, the Sant Joan town hall has carried out a series of works that have improved the embellishment of the municipality.
Shared history
With this context, the Councilor for Coexistence, Margalida Bauzà Company, recalls that “Sant Joan is not just a physical space”. “It is the people who live there, the relationships that are built, and the history we share. When the town is damaged, we all hurt each other”, she adds.
The City Council points out that “beyond the reasons that may lie behind these events, what is truly worrying is the feeling of disconnection: the lack of appreciation for the place where we live, the loss of the sense of community, the absence of values as essential as cooperation, respect, and unity”.
Finally, she appeals to conscience and invites us to think about it: “It is time to reflect, to recover the sense of belonging, and to remember that taking care of our environment is also taking care of ourselves. Only through respect and collective responsibility can we build a stronger, more united, and more dignified Sant Joan”.