Cast Aways: What Societies Do When They Don't Care

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

Homelessness has been an issue that seems to be ignored by the status quo. While most people carry on their daily lives (career, family, etc.), they never seem to get past a snide comment when a homeless person asks them for spare change. Honestly, why would you? They're probably going to buy cigarettes or alcohol with it; maybe even get their little crack fix. Truth is, we are as guilty of stereotyping and perpetuating the cycle of homelessness and rampant poverty as the bureaucrats in power that choose to simply ignore the problem (and it is a problem), in hopes that it will vanish.

The short online documentary "On Skid Row", documents the micro society that is a 50 block area in Los Angeles County, USA. It chronicles the day to day life of the 'residents' of skid row, from those displaced from their homes, those that have been born into it, to those that use it as a means of income from drug sales. The success of this short documentary can be credited to its use of pathos as well as its use of logos in order to get its point across and convince the viewer that action must be taken.

The introduction of this documentary gives a brief history of the sector of LA County called Skid Row. It describes the different types of people that inhabit it with the use of emotionally charged footage shot by security cameras and the director himself. The director states how government officials have discussed solutions for many years, but have either not addressed the problem or are just simply ignoring it for their own agendas. Despite this, he highlights how there are those that are driven and dedicated to making a difference for the people of Skid Row. He follows a youth named Franklin who has been living in Skid Row for most of his life. Franklin has gained attention to this growing problem thanks to several appearances on shows like Tyra and Montel. Franklin is trying to make a difference by becoming an example of success. He is actively trying to further his education and hopes to one day attend college. His case brings to the viewer’s attention a very important question: Why are we allowing children like Franklin to even be a part of Skid Row? Shouldn't our ethics and sense of right and wrong tell us that it isn't right? The director's use of Franklin on this video gave a strong pathos point to the video and establishes a logos point with the introduction of Choc Nitty, an ex-drug dealer.

Choc Nitty sold drugs in Skid Row since he was 12. He has made thousands of dollars thanks to the clientele available. Crack, weed, coke, meth were all a part of his regular sales. They say that every dog has his day, and that day eventually came to Choc: he got busted. After his arrest and conviction, Choc decided to change his life. He abandoned selling drugs and decided to take up music. He now makes a living off of his music sales and performances. The police and government decided that it was time to take action regarding the rampant distribution and use of drugs. They decided to implement the Safer Cities Initiative. This initiative which begun in September of 2006, brought in 50 extra officers into downtown to help reverse the 'culture of lawlessness.' Security cameras were also installed, but this wasn't so effective because the dealers just relocated. The argument regarding this policy is, once it expires, the money is gone and everyone that has been arrested is released, what happens? Does it start all over again?

I think that if anyone is particularly moved by this video, they use it as a catalyst. There are many important issues out there that we choose to ignore because we don't want to confront them due to either laziness or our lack of stomach. It is obvious that we can't leave important issues up to the media, as they are lobbied and choose to cover what they see is important. We live in a country where we can learn about almost anything, be informed of many controversial topics, yet we still don't address them. Maybe it is because of that simple quote at the beginning of this analysis...