From suburbia to skid row shelter - LA times pictorial / article

[Liberal_in_LA]

From suburbia to skid row shelter
Jonathan and Veronica Long and their four children downsized to an apartment, then a friend's spare room. Then they were homeless. There are days she dares to believe they can recapture the life they had.



Staring resolutely ahead, a heavily pregnant Veronica Long pushed a stroller along 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles, past the junkies, the psych patients and those with no place to go. She ignored the whispers from crack dealers outside San Julian Park and strangers who hollered at her: “Go home!”

Before the recession, home was a two-bedroom house with a pool in Reseda. For most of this year, it was a shelter on skid row.

Veronica's husband, Jonathan, had a busy studio where he recorded and produced up-and-coming rap, hip-hop and R&B artists. But when the economy tanked, his clients ran out of money and he had to pawn his equipment to pay the bills.

The family downsized to an apartment in Long Beach, then a friend's spare room in Corona. When the friend was evicted last year, Jonathan, 35, Veronica, 34, and their four children ages 3 to 8 were homeless.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-recession-vignette-html,0,175173.htmlstory?track=lat-pick#

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. So their latest child was conceived while they wre in a shelter on skid row?

I have trouble having any sympathy whatsover for these parents. I do have a great deal of sympathy for the children however.

[Glimmer of Hope]

2. She says that she didn't think she could become pregnant because of a medical condition.

It all seems to fall apart so fast for some.

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. I'm just going to keep my thoughts to myself. n/t

[frylock]

8. too late

[Warren DeMontague]

23. Reminds me of a song.

"Can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Wut5FXbaw

[AmBlue]

7. That could be any of us...

...but for the grace of, well, I use to say god, but who really knows about that. I really think it's just luck and circumstances. You can never know where life leads. That man could just as easily be pulling down seven figures as a big name music producer right now had things gone differently.

I say watch out what you sneer at.

[The Doctor.]

6. Yes, those irresponsible miscreants!

How dare they have some intimacy while their lives are in chaos!



You might have detected a tone.

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Children are a huge responsibility and the decision to have them shouldn't be taken lightly.

My gripe is not with their intimacy but with their family planning decisions.

It's probably unfair for me to judge them. After all we live in insanely religious world where having lots of children is highly encouraged but education, financial and personal responsibility are not.

[The Doctor.]

14. Are you so certain they 'took it lightly'?

Obviously I can agree to the extent that their situation is complicated by the pregnancy. That's what any pregnancy does to any situation by factors. But since neither you nor I are them, we really can't judge them here.

It's possible this couple is pro-choice, but are so enthralled with each-other that they can't imagine not bringing a child of theirs to term. It's possible that they really did look at all their options and arrived at the decision to keep the baby. It's also possible that they really are terribly irresponsible.

I don't disagree with your reaction. I just tend to give the BoTD until I know more about the story.

There just isn't enough here to judge them.

[Shagbark Hickory]

16. I agree. They probably didn't ask to be a headline in the newspaper.

Their situation is really none of my business. That's why I originally hoped to keep my trap shut. One of the areas I have trouble with sometimes but I'm working on that.

[The Doctor.]

26. Aren't we all?

;)

[Erose999]

24. It wasn't their "decision". Doctors told her she couldn't get pregnant. Accidents happen.

[closeupready]

15. Meanwhile, those of us who read the article know she believed she was infertile due

to a medical condition. But don't let facts get in the way of your poor-bashing.

[Shagbark Hickory]

17. Ok.

[closeupready]

18. Are you suggesting she's lying?

? Do you assume everyone lies?

[Shagbark Hickory]

19. Have a nice day.

:hi:
I don't have time to waste on this thread

[closeupready]

20. Ok. Cheers.

:)

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Jesus, what a nasty post.

Just, wow.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Ugly post, wow

[Bigmack]

4. Their life would be easier if they made better choices....

Better choices like choosing their grandparents more carefully... being born into the Walton family, for example.

Rather than working with those terrible Rapper people, he should have chosen go to law school at some nice place like Harvard. He'd be in fat city today, mister!

And having 4 kids..? They needed to choose abortion... or better yet, abstinence. They should have seen ahead of time that the economy would tank, and adjusted their reproductive strategy accordingly.

Why don't these people just make better choices?

[devilgrrl]

5. +1

I can barely wait for all the compassionate responses to come in.

This forum is disgusting lately. :puke:

[dana_b]

10. I hope not

I want to have a little more faith in the people here than what I read in the comments section at the L.A. Times.

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. Always lots of comments (DU & other forums) when poor person has lots of kids

I just ignore 'em.

[Blue_Tires]

11. I know personally I'm just one bad roll of the dice from joining them

along with millions of other americans...

[TBF]

12. Rec for the OP -

this is going to be happening to more and more of us. The austerity hasn't even hit hard here YET. That's what I expect to see in Mr. Obama's 2nd term - and it will be the elderly on the street as well.

[Starry Messenger]

13. recommend.