Life on the Streets

The measure of society is how well it treats its weakest element. Skid Row is located in Los Angeles and it is described as the poverty central of the United States. One must ask, why is it that in such a wealthy, thriving, upscale city is there so much poverty? Furthermore, what is being done to correct the problem? Is the government turning a blind eye to its less fortunate minorities? More attention definitely needs to be drawn to this prevalent issue.

The writer/director Sam Slovick is indeed credible (ethos) because he gives direct evidence via video and displays persons roaming the streets in a state of hopelessness and helplessness and quite frankly, anarchy. In the video, Franklin the filmmaker who lives in Skid Row, boldly claims that most everyone on Skid row is black and he points to the tall "pretty" buildings (skyscrapers) and remarks that everyone up there is white, although he sarcastically stated that he did not want to make it a race issue. Franklin appeals to pathos by saying, "crime is the only business....aint no opportunities out here for us". Although he might be making a harsh rationalization, he may not be completely correct by saying there is no hope, because there is always hope. Moreover, the narrator claims that living in such poverty and harsh conditions can indeed scar an individual for life and remain in his heart and mind forever. The writer makes use of logos by stating the logical reasoning behind the fact that these persons are dirt poor and there is obviously no help in sight. The government and other individuals seems to treat Skid Row like a disease and just ignore it. Some cops even go as far as arresting homeless individuals and displacing them, but they usually always end up back in Skid Row. What is one to do in a situation like this? Crime is definitely not the answer!


The measure of society is how well it treats its weakest element. There are over 40,000 homeless persons in Los Angeles. The majority of the homeless persons are black and live in Skid Row. It is clear that the political will is not present, as far as correcting the problem is concerned. The narrator Sam speaks of how the homeless problem was curbed in New York. The solution to the problem is definitely helping people to maintain housing and making it affordable to them. The government must step in and make a difference. They need to exercise their power and do more than just offer welfare. They should offer hope and means of reformation and enlightenment, for the sake of saving the generation.


Jarrod Knowles