Streetwise

After watching Streetwise, I seemed to be totally taken aback by the extreme poverty in our nation. Juxtaposing the images of the intensely depraved children with Seattle ("The most livable city in America), really allowed for Martin Bell's argument be solidified. It was actually frightening to me to see such potentially similar people in such grave states. It was sad to see that America has inevitably allowed this to occur, or so Bell argues.

With using such a unique character as Tiny, Bell is able to make a powerful statement about America in general. It is that parents are the most direct influences of their child's future, so they MUST begin to act accordingly. Tiny's alcoholic mother sees her prostitution as a "phase" and emotionally neglects her for many years. All of these things have undoubtedly negatively influenced Tiny, leading to her pitiful life now. If only her mother would have actually showed some emotional and physical support towards Tiny....one can only guess the extent of how this would have positively benefited this poor girl.