While working on a magazine article about the deterioration of University Avenue in Little Rock, Ark., and attempts to restore it, I ran across this depressing scene and pulled out my camera.
It's sad when this type of thing is common in this city.
University Avenue, at one point in time, was the commercial center of Little Rock. That's changed over the past decade, but fortunately the University of Arkansas at Little Rock -- which is located off of the avenue -- is involved in an effort to renovate the area.
I hope UALR, the businesses and citizens' groups involved with the effort are successful.
Update!
Well, this here photo just got pulled from the magazine article I was working on. Why? Because it's "too negative," according to the powers that be.
Sissies.
So, you're looking at a The Natural State Hawg exclusive! Hot dog!
20 comments:
Hope he gets back on his feet both figuratively and literally. Sad to see so many homeless.
Yep. It's a shame to have this kind of thing going on in Little Rock. All that seems to be done is the homeless get run out of one area into another.
I used to look upon people in such circumstances with great disdain before I lost everything that "I" considered to be of value myself.
Fishhawk:
I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. Great photo to illustrate there's a problem down there...
I expect that we'll see more homeless folks all over the country before, or if, the number of homeless drops any. Things are getting really tight for people, and so many were already living paycheck to paycheck.
Lucky Girl:
You're not kidding! The economy is tight as can be right now and we're seeing signs of that all over the place.
And, I took a photo of one of them!
So, so sad.
Crazy Working Mom:
Yep. It's a true pity that the "perfect" shot we needed for the story has to be such a depressing one...
That's sad. No one should be in that situation where they have to sleep on the streets.
Up here in Searcy, hitchhiking along the smaller highways, I've been seeing more homeless people lately. It's so dangerous since there's no shoulders on the roads and no real place to walk.
I wonder what sorts of help is available for them?
Theresa:
There are some underfunded community programs in Little Rock and a lot of churches do their best, but the problem is growing as the economy tanks.
I figure what will happen is that University Avenue will be cleaned up and the homeless will be shifted somewhere else.
Sad but true...
That's sad to hear about Little Rock, I always thought it was a very pretty little city.
It is a very pretty city, but there are some problems that just go ignored. There's a homeless problem there, but those poor folks tend to get herded around when they might interfere with something "important" (i.e., Clinton's coming to town, so let's clean them out of the River Market area near the Clinton Library, Riverfest is scheduled and etc.)
thank God they aren't real people!
I don't get that comment, "thank God they aren't real people." Of course they are real people! I'm sure not one of them intended to end up in such dire straits as to be homeless.
I'm sure not one of them intended to get a job!
I am hoping that "Anonymous" was trying to be funny. For I used to feel much in the same way about "those kind of people"; and I would hate to think that "Anonymous" is as awful as I was.
Now, in regards unto their sense-of-humor: that's another thing entirely. I suppose it could be the result of massive quantities of good liquor of bad drugs.
That should have been "massive quantites of good liquor OR bad drugs", of course. Perhaps my frequent typos could be the result of flashbacks???
Of course I'm kidding! :) I really enjoy making fun of everyone, most especially: Myself, blacks, cripples, gays, women, chinese people (sometimes), you, rednecks, people with mental handicaps, special interest groups, feminists (see women), blind people, children, fatties, mexicans, people that have too many bumper stickers, people from benton OR bryant, and anyone that takes themselves so seriously as to get pissed about these kinds of jokes.
Anyone who knows anything (and I'm talking about men obviously) knows that a good joke trumps good taste.
Peace!
Umm, what was that you said about a "good" joke, Anonymous???
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