To be honest, I know the feeling. I spend a small amount of time in Skid Row. On a vacation to the west coast my family decided that they wanted to do a jaunt from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. One problem with this, well we had no idea how we were getting to Vegas and the Grand Canyon though we figured it out on the fly.
From LA to Vegas we took a Los Limousines bus to Vegas from a depot in Skid Row. I didn't rest easy until we were out of that area. I didn't enjoy the aroma of urine and was definitely ill at ease with the tents that you see prevalent in the area. How does a major metropolis like "the City of Angels" allow this to happen? How do they allow so many people collect in a neighborhood to just treat city streets as if its their only home?
Anyway, Hopkins wonders the same thing and she's right. There is an emerging crisis going on and has been going on for years instead it's easier to take on the more popular causes of the day. The big news recently is Stormy Daniels and I'm not sure how this happened aside from the fact that she claimed to have had an affair with our current President. Then we talk about those "dreamers" which our current President also wants to address. And yet no one has the willingness to attack this problem and clean it up.
At the time I did my own research and apparently there have been lawsuits over this. It's easier to let this problem linger than to have to fight this through the court system. Yet remaining in an area so dirty and allowing broken people to remain broken in broad daylight and in full view can't be acceptable. It's possible the residents of skid row have families who are looking for them.
And don't think areas like this only exist in Los Angeles, they are everywhere. Want to know where these individuals are in Chicago, go to lower Wacker Drive (no thanks from me on that sorry to say). In Atlanta taking the Greyhound into their downtown I often found the homeless living along the highways into downtown with their own tents. It's very sad and obviously if there is an emerging health issue waiting to happen, then perhaps it's time to pay attention and get started fixing this.
Meanwhile the pics below are of my brief foray into Skid Row during the summer of 2016. Not pleasant and not forgettable.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are now moderated because one random commenter chose to get comment happy. What doesn't get published is up to my discretion. Of course moderating policy is subject to change. Thanks!