Critique of Lars Eighner's Essay "Dumpster Diving"

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Yesterday, I threw out an old jar of peanut butter with only about an inch of it left. It had not expired yet, but we had gotten a new jar, and that one simply tasted better. I wasn't supporting the homeless community, or being wasteful, I was just trying to make room in the cabinet. If I would have kept that inch of peanut butter, it wouldn't have made the world's population of homeless people try to find work, nor want to get off the streets. Lars Eighner is suggesting that when we throw away things, homeless people can find a way to make use out of whatever it is. Therefore, if we don't want there to be bums on the street, it is inferred that we shouldn't throw anything extra out if we want to change that. To me, that is simply ridiculous. We all know, that if someone is desperate enough, they can make use out of almost anything, and some of those things "non-homeless folk" can't use anymore. We're not feeding or clothing the homeless intentionally, we can't help if people dig through our trash. So, not throwing away anything "extra" is not going to turn the vagabonds of the world into a fine, upstanding, or hard-working citizen of America. Obviously, I completely disagree with Eighner's purpose in writing "Dumpster Diving". I think the whole thing is preposterous. The way he makes a general assumption about how everybody's is wasteful is pure ignorance. It seem as if he is saying that the reason why people are homeless is because we throwing out things. Eighner is trying to tell us that people will remain homeless until we start saving more and wasting less, but that's not how it works. Most people don't choose to be homeless. Some even start out having their own companies, or just simply having jobs and comfortable live... ... middle of paper ... ... out and got a job. He stopped relying on the trash of people, and simply started working. People weren't throwing out more or less, he just simply applied himself. Who cares what we throw out, it's not going to make a difference. All-in-all, Eighner fails at his attempt to get us to stop "wasting" what we can't use. It is easy to see that it's not our faults if people are homeless, because we are not contributing to that. Removing clutter and getting rid of junk does not keep people on the streets! Some people are just down-and-out, and there's nothing we can do to help or hurt that. Eighner needs to look at the man in the mirror and realize that if he didn't get a job because people cut off their garbage, then that's not the case. Even though Eighner disagrees with me, today, tomorrow, and the day after that, I will always throw away that inch of peanut butter.

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