Peter Santenello - 2022-03-20
Skid Row in Los Angeles is notorious for open air drug usage, tents on the streets, and crime. Today we meet up with Mark Laita, the creator behind the YouTube channel Soft White Underbelly to get a better understanding of why people fall victim to the streets, why most won’t leave, and what’s the solution to this growing problem in American cities.
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► Mark Laita: https://www.youtube.com/c/SoftWhiteUnderbelly
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#LA #skidrow #softwhiteunderbelly
My birth mother is on skid row. She immigrated from South Korea to California in the 80s through marriage. Somehow she got to Buffalo, NY and gave birth to me. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and struggles with addiction. My parents told me this information when I was old enough to know. They also told me that the county was about to take away her right to choose private adoption because she was "mentally unfit." Her doctor fought hard for her and she was able to meet my parents and choose for herself. Thank god, because I would've ended up in foster care. I looked up her information a few years ago, it says she's back in California. There was a list of all the missions on skid row she stayed at. I just a want to give her a hug and help her. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be where I am today. She knew she wanted to give me a better life. Hopefully she's in a better situation. I hope I find her someday.
🙏♥️👍
LA resident here, let me know if I can help in some way!
God bless you both. 🙏
All love to you and your mum ✨🙏✨
Maybe contact Mark. Maybe he can help you get In touch with your birth mother xxx good luck and well done in your life! X
Soooo exciting to see Mark outside the studio and hear more of his thoughts. What an epic cross over!
such a well spoken guy, his interviews are always compelling to watch
me too!
mark looks so handsome!
tall
tan
and thicc
So cool! Love his channel.
Mark has made a ton of money in commercial photography and could be doing just about whatever he wanted. Instead, he has chosen to leave a legacy, by bringing awareness to these people in these places. With awareness brings change! Thank you Mark for all you do and for being kind to all humans!
@@MamaBearHomeschools He’s a legend!
He's right in that the deepest layer is Love.
Somebody intimately close to me became detached and alienated from everybody they knew and had once gotten love from. They gave up on their self completely. Sleeping in a park, selling their body for drugs and begging strangers to acquire basic necessities.
It wasn't until someone in their family started visiting them regularly, just getting lunch with them, and just spending time with them- despite their circumstances and condition. Telling them they loved them and cared about them, saw their worth. Just showing them they matter still. No strings attached, not even any giving of money or anything.
It's not always this simple obviously but this person fairly quickly turned right around, went into (free program) rehab (CA has it) and has been sober and living a healthy life again for 6 years now.
Who gives a fuck about taking care of their self when nobody who once loved you even cares to come look at you in the eyes?
Itd be a shot in the dark but a softwhite underbelly paradoy seems plausible from your camp!
100% man. It can take a little more than love sometimes, but without love, those other things won't work.
Love your content btw. Hadn't watched in a while with all the content out there and how the algorithm works, so it's cool to see your channel still growing.
It's mostly the family courts systems attack on fathers fueled by left wing endless compassion ideology that is the root of the problem.
@@BEEENGONE bro I'm way ahead of you hahah I'm happy you thought of this
@@outdoorloser4340 the fathers can always go after joint or full custody. They don’t want to but they’ll definitely play victim
I had a mental breakdown once. It was over raising three kids and the increase in living cost without a increase in pay. My job was once a middle class job. I still struggle financially, but I pulled myself out of the breakdown. Alcohol assisted that breakdown too. I had a good childhood. So i can understand exactly what he is saying. I have two more years to pay on my home. I haven't had a steak in many years. Its the first thing I'm doing when we make it out the other side.
I was going down that path, incest abuse survivor, SRA survivor, etc. Started doing drugs around 12, on my own by 16 and was an opiate addict by 17. I couldn't handle loosing my friends and going through even more traumatic experiences. I quit cold turkey at age 20 (had to try a few times) and moved to Hawaii through a opportunity to work on an organic farm in the jungle in Hawaii, that way I knew I couldn't find drugs (very remote, no cities) I found God, I found healing and I haven't looked back since. It takes a lot of strength to save your own life, I couldn't have done it without a higher purpose.
And no snakes in that jungle. You lived
Jesus is only saviour..I was a hard boiled atheist before, drug abuse and sinned alot.
Well done 🤙🏽
Thanks be to God! <3 Blessings sent to you and peace :)
Amazing. Well done
I am a 17 year old, and when I was 15 I found Mark's channel. Everyone thinks I am crazy for being enthralled to his videos, but he is the reason I am going into psychology. Mental illness has been brought to the surface, but the common ones (depression,bipolar,etc) are not the only ones people should focus on. Drug use comes from mental illness, yet drugs also ruin the receptors in your brain making it worse.
Who ever thinks your crazy by watching his videos are losers to no end lol his videos are only for people willing into explore other people's minds. Only for the intelligent
People probably think your crazy because they cant take being faced with people that are classed as the "lowest of the low" "scum" "worthless" & "beyond help"! Its being faced with the realities of this world that can help change it. Too many people are happy in their perfect bubbles and are either deliberately ignorant or genuinely unaware of the cruel and harsh world that is just steps away from them. Keep being curious and real, good luck with your future
Just be cautious in future trying to help others and listening to their problems. After so long you will need to talk to professionals regarding all the patients stories. I wish you nothing but success. I am certain you will do any extraordinary job, and be totally empathetic.
No, every modern woman is getting a degree in psychology… maybe they should use it on each other so we can get back to having feminine women.
Go for social work, not psychology. Jobs are easier to find as a social worker than a psychologist. Then get your master's. You won't make great money either way unless you go for psychiatry and unless you volunteer your time, you won't help the people who need it the most because healthcare is a complete mess. - Sincerely, a person with a masters in psychology.
I live in LA. This is one of the most honest and raw conversations I’ve heard about homelessness. The ugly and unpleasant root causes are all too often ignored.
which place is the worst in LA? he just posted a couple spots but hard to judge without the actual experience of living there. Do you plan to stay there or ever thinking of leaving LA or Cali ?
@@memorysometimers3067 skid row
@@memorysometimers3067 skid row takes the cake. I’m not leaving LA. I love it here. You have to remember although the homeless problem is real, this city is massive. Vast majority of LA is nothing like this. It’s regular people living normal life’s, raising families, working…. To give you some perspective, within LA city limits you can fit San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. And that's not even including neighboring cities that make up the greater Los Angeles area, like Santa Monica, Pasadena, and Beverly Hills.
@@NaProbablyNot that’s good your staying positive about it bro! Certainly is a huge city with all the different districts and whatnot. Cool, good to know the real deal! 👍🍻
@NaprobablyNot either skid row or down Figueroa street , and Venice beach but they are ' working on cleaning that up '
I worked with homeless people in my hometown of Berlin/Germany for a while and it's the same issue. No one was on the street because of laziness or something like that. They all had severe mental health issues, stemming from a wide variety of reasons, but mostly childhood trauma.
whatever was going on there in Germany, is nothing compared to this dumpster fire. 😂
@@edwardsmith1060 I know you have more homeless over there, but I wouldn't call 10,000 homeless people in my hometown nothing.
@@edwardsmith1060 german homeless rates are similar to america. I admit california is bad but overall america and germany are similar
@edwardsmith1060 so super funny, right Eddie
If you watched the video he does say it’s because of laziness.
When he said you’ve gotta have a D Day. A decision day. He’s absolutely right. My “d day” wasn’t so much a day, just a quick moment that changed my life. I was getting arrested for heroin and could have bailed out the next day. As surprising as it was to the CO, it was just as surprising to me when I heard myself ask him if I could just stay in jail to detox until I got over my withdrawals so I couldn’t go back and get high. It was absolute hell. But the guards/CO’s at the jail watched over me, and physically and emotionally helped me a lot. Probably because I was trying to help myself. I went to rehab right after that, and when I got out I went back to court for sentencing. I’ve been clean for 3.5 years, still on probation. But I’m thankful. Getting arrested and that split second decision to help myself was the best thing to happen to me.
In case nobody has told you this, I just want to say I am proud of you and you made such a great choice.
Tears to my eyes. Keep strong.
@Matlin Andrea, Thank you so much. I genuinely appreciate that! I guess my subconscious just saw a way out in that moment and I found a solid way to help hold myself accountable for my recovery. I’m so very grateful.
@John Baptiste, Thank you for your encouragement! It honestly does help me and other addicts as well to keep fighting for our recovery. I thank God every day for this. I prayed and begged to get out of that addiction for years. Of course I didn’t want to get arrested, but my prayers were answered right then and there.
@@dalerimoller272 i was just about to say youre extra strong for doing it without an imaginary friend but nvm
Mark needs to be interviewed more. He brings such awareness to the strife of these people. He rehumanizes and brings some understanding to this population.
I agree. I feel like he was born to be a bridge between two ways of life
Someone needs to make a doco and have him in it.
He said he doesn’t like being in front of the camera elsewhere
Mark is deserving of respect and appreciation. He is a gift to this world!
@@sulagreen5792 He helps a lot of them directly. But he is trying to spread the word of the struggles of people, in this society or as a human in general. A lot of his interviews can help most people to get a real perspective on what a big part of the vulnerable people in society are. Their trauma and following issues can be seen in similar ways wherever you go in the world. And this is sadly something most people know hardly anything about. My point is that even if there is bias on his end, and he is far from perfect in his perspectives. But this adds to giving a perspective that probably a lot people have that comes from ignorance.
I interviewed with mark a while ago I'ma a drug addicted emotionally hindered homeless white guy that is addicted to fentnal. My girl and I have been on the streets of la for 8 years with nothing but jail death and misery just existing hoping that we will survive another day. One day I found mark told him my story and he seen that I had a spark of life still in me. And he showed kindness love and opportunity. I'm 43 homeless tattooed from head to toe with no education and not many choices to make a safe legal way to earn a living. He gave me an opportunity to help him with a few things regarding his videos. I bring shattered souls to share their broken lives in hopes that maybe their story might help someone maybe even themselves. He gave me hope opportunity and sense of worthiness. Mark is a beautiful human being and I'm blessed to have made it to his studio to share my embarrassing way if life and my insecurities and my desperate want for change. And he gave me purpose a sense of belonging and just a chance to help myself. I have so much respect for mark. He is a true example of love and understanding and just even if he makes a difference in 1% of people he touches it has a positive ripple effect. You never know you can touch that one person that can be someone to make a difference in many. I hope one day to be able to let him see how he made a diffence in my lil life. Unconditional love is the most powerful energy in the universe.
Billy
Amen!
Billy thank you for sharing your story on the platform. We all have a story in this thing called life, and your story can help uplift someone too! No matter what stones life my throw your way, you gotta keep pushing through. Dark clouds are temporary…..the sun is out more than clouds. ❤️
Jesus Christ can give you that, friend! Keep your head up!
Billy...you sound quite capable and articulate. No glaring misspellings and grammatically correct wording in your post. So what's the real problem??
Thank you for sharing Billy! Best of luck to you and God bless you.
Really happy to hear Mark highlight the complexity of this issue. Homelessness is the surface level issue but there are many layers that need to be addressed to solve this. It’s overwhelming to even think about what needs to happen
I'm here mourning my brother, and trying to get a better understanding what he was going through. He was found dead five days ago, he had been living homeless in california. My brother wasn't part of the 95%, he had a good family and role models to look up too. Mental illness and drug addiction was his downfall. I've lost some really close people over the years, but this hurts the worst. Thanks for listening to my story and have a blessed day.
I am sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace
I'm sorry for your loss
@@annesther726 thanks.
@@seabreeze876 thanks.
I am so sorry for your loss.
It can be really difficult to get reach our loved ones.
What Mark said about stabilizing the kids is 100% spot on. My own story has homelessness mental illness domestic violence sex abuse and trafficking and drug addicted partner. Within two years of getting into affordable safe housing my three girls went from being at risk for teen pregnancy and drug addiction to happy mentally stable teenagers with bright futures. Stable housing mental health help and income helps but it takes a change in a person's mindset to make progress.
It’s great that you pulled them out of hell and congrats 🎈 Keep strong, life is not for the faint of heart!
Mark laita doesn't know what stabilizing children means when he interviews children being sex trafficked
@@SculptExpress-gv8jpI would say life without resources and basic needs is not for the faint of heart. Growing up wealthy and affluent may have some challenges but there is a better safety net when things go wrong.
They play tricks❤
That's what's up
Great interview with Mark and C-note. My dad became homeless when I as 16 due to bad luck with his job, and his alcoholism. On the weekends I would drive around to find him and take him for his favorite steak and eggs breakfast or whatever else he felt like. He lived in his van and kept himself clean, he was very meticulous in his appearance. He wasn't mentally ill, but an alcoholic who was unable to overcome some of the circumstances thrown at him. I'm pretty sure he was abused as a child as I found a letter from his older sister, she passed in her 20's, about going to this new kind of doctor called a "Psychiatrist", and that she had gone and it helped her and she knew it would help him if he went. He didn't. I think the letter was from the 1950's.
Once his unemployment ran out, he floated around state to state, for about 10 years, burning bridges with family members until he ended up back in my area with stage 4 melanoma, and that's when he descended into the abyss of alcoholism. I had to cut contact with him, he became verbally abusive with me which he had never been.
About a year or 2 later, I received a call that my dad was at the VA Hospital, and had a stroke and was close to death. I rushed down to the VA, found him unresponsive after a radiation treatment which was brutal since I thought he was already dead and I missed being able to connect with him. Somehow he woke up after I left and was started asking for me. The nurse called me and told me to rush down, and for 2 days we were able to communicate and make amends.
I'm so infinitely grateful that we were able to connect before he passed and that his passing was somewhat peaceful. Being able to connect was a wonderful gift for both of us. My dad was amazing and had crazy knowledge about everything, he was so intelligent and interesting to talk to, everyone liked him. You would never know by looking at me that I've dealt with this in my life, but it's part of who I am and probably why I have a gift of compassion for people who are down on their luck, I get it. My dad used to say, "No one can F&*K you up like family". I didn't understand that until I found that letter and then I totally got it.
I wish everyone could find a way to forgive themselves for their past actions and find peace within to heal. Good luck to all my fellow humans, we're all in this together, we are not separate. 🙏☮
Thank you for sharing Stefani ❤️
Listen, your dad was abused as a kid. It's impossible to get over for some. I understand it.
I can truly relate. Thank you for sharing 🌻🙏✌️
That’s an amazing story! I wish I’d had the chance to say goodbye to my dad, who had alcohol and drug addictions, and whom I loved dearly and was very close to, as a kid. I felt abandoned when he got in more and more trouble with drugs and the law, and would go in and out of prison. Then I grew up and knew everything, and behaved judgmentally. Later in life, I developed a lot of the same problems he had…Bipolar Disorder, addiction. I mean I’d had the Bipolar, but had avoided drugs for a long time. Later, I realized it’s not enough to know what not to do. You have to have something to replace it with. In treatment, I learned and rehearsed skills for dealing with feelings and problems and life, and I always wanted to tell my dad I am sorry and I understand. I can’t do that, because he passed away, but I can show him by telling people who still suffer that I understand addiction, I’m in recovery, and I want to help. I can still close that circle of life and make it whole, by applying what I learned from knowing my Dad to the next generation. I’m glad you got to talk with your dad in person!
P.S. I was about to say “I can help by applying what I learned from my dad to the next generation.” But my dad also taught me how to hustle cards and run cons, and penny ante schemes. So I changed it to, “what I learned from knowing him,” lol. But he actually did teach me some good lessonsp and values. A lot of people with parents who were criminals can tell you that. And I’m eternally grateful that he never taught me how to cook meth, and other things like that! As far as he knew, he was just preparing me for survival.
Thank u for sharing. Beautiful!❤️
From the outside we looked like the perfect family. Dad was a lawyer, mum was the housewife only behind closed doors she's a narcissistic bully and both my brother and I are fighting addiction issues. Drugs don't discriminate and anyone can end up on the street so be thankful for what you have.
I don't want to "like" this, but I agree with you. I hope you're healing.
@Kiki-D-Kimono that's OK I understand andnom doing great I've got 5 years clean now my brothers still struggling with alcohol but we're there for him. He took loosing our dad really badly. Thank you for your kind comment ❤️
My mother was also a big hypocrite and bully! I was her target 🎯. I suffered through drug use and addiction, which has been decades ago. I decided to give it up and live my life healthy!
Trauma can only lead to addiction if the individual allows it to. I was homeless and never turned to drugs or alcohol. Had such a traumatic childhood that my innate potential was suppressed to the point of lifelong emotional disability, even becoming homeless due to an impaired functioning ability. And, yet, never turned to drugs or alcohol!
Good reminder. Sending you healing and care!
He’s right. Peel back the layers and it’s child abuse, trauma and neglect from the aforementioned. I put myself through a rehab, paid the whole thing and every single person there (all walks of life; wealthy with college degrees to grew up on welfare) was trying escape their childhood demons.
I have a sibling who is homeless now. Our parents should have been in prison for what they did to him.
Truly incredible. I made in through 6 months of rehab and have walked the straight and narrow for over 10 years.
We must educate the public about sociopathic parents, parents who emotionally, physically and sexually abuse and parents who are too f*ing lazy to do their job.
They destroy lives, sometimes for decades and sometimes permanently.
damn that sucks @user-ge6uo2ry2b....
100% right
Not all traumatized people become addicts
but all addicts have experienced trauma.
Dr Gabor Matte.
Thank you for your story, I hope your doing well x
❤
I must say, for me as a drug addict who struggled for several years with housing.. in a cycle rehab/sober house or living on the streets; I could not even begin to get unsick until I had stable housing. My teen years were tossed back & forth, house to house. Then I turn 18 right, now I’m on my own. Drugs & men are how I learned to support myself. Get with a guy to keep myself safe. Gotta go back on the streets. Having my own apartment changed my life, it gave me the small semblance of stability that I needed. It wasn’t overnight. I started in a place similar to how Mark mentioned, it was income based & you were allowed to not work; the rent would be $5 if you didn’t work. I needed that. I can’t stress how much I needed that. To know for the first time in my life I was safe. I could shower. I could stay there as long as I needed. In my own space. So while I don’t think stable housing is the only solution, it is a major part of it.
Blessings to you darling. Always remember that there is someone out there that cares about you. Prayers from Grandma Gia in the Ozarks
Thank you for speaking up. The government and society need to hear from people like you, so they know what you really need. Your experience although is a terrible one, is helpful for others to hear about. Peace.
I would like to see interviews from paramedics that service this area. I think it would be a different perspective and I’m sure they have seen some truly heartbreaking things as well.
That is such a great idea.
I was a medic in Albuquerque for 10 years. Meth was the thing back then, in like 2006-16. It appears that medics these days, in LA, are responding almost minute by minute to down and outs. We responded every day, but not, like, every call in a specific area. More guns and stabbings and motorcycle accidents. Trains VS people. This is just awful. And I thought I knew awful.
LAFD Fire Station 9, that serves this area is the busiest Fire Station in the United States
That's a great idea, that would be enlightening
@pabnaful the USA is huge. You can get to a middle class area in the southeast or Midwest and get a good job easy. The cost of living in cities and Southern California in general is insane. They have jobs paying people hundreds of thousand a year. Surrounded by school teachers and retail jobs. The rich basically keep up those areas. The cities have gone to crap. But america rules. We have lots of shitty places but also have lots of great places.
I’ve heard (and based on my experience I agree) that it takes just ONE positive role model to change a child’s life trajectory. Say everyone around you is messed up but you have your one person - you have a chance. I know who my one person was. A psychologist said to me, after me explaining my past, that “it always amazes me how people like you turn out to be ok.” I know it’s because I had someone throwing me a lifeboat in the storm that was my childhood. Please, be that one shining light for a child. You don’t know what a difference it could make.
Wow! You would think policymakers, corporations and society at large would understand something this basic. It's astounding to realize that people's capacity for understanding is limited, no matter how intelligent and educated they are.
I agree 💯 % ... I took in two boys one at 5 months old the other from birth. I had 3 sons of my own. One is now 23 the other is 18. They are my son's as much as the 3 I gave birth too. My son's have come before everybody and anybody in my life including any man. Even tho I had a very long marriage and only one man in their lives he always blamed I put the kids first for his bad behavior.. but now after all these 23&18yrs I see the final product so to speak and see just how grateful and appreciative my two youngest sons are. They're well educated. I've always made time for their heads or anything that was needed and everybody says oh they were so lucky...ha no no no I WAS SO LUCKY. I AM THE BLESSED ONE HERE. Absolutely and completely. But the world has two more brilliant handsome intelligent law abiding hard working men now. 😊
@@tinamarie3653God bless you for your good heart!
I love the layers analogy.
And I think Mark is spot on when he says the core layer is love.
Love is expressed in many ways, and children need many kinds of love as they grow in order to be whole.
Kids need provisional love- food, clean water, appropriate clothing, housing, medicine etc.
Kids need protecting love- protection from the people and situations that would cause them long term harm.
Kids need serving love- the kind of love that says I will help you. I am by your side and with you, and when you need help, I will be there.
Kids need to be hugged. And kissed. And held. And snuggled. And wrestled with. They need to be shown what appropriate, respectful and loving touch feels like.
Kids need affirming love- I think this is a big one that gets missed for a lot of kids. The kind of love that says you are a delight, you have stacks of potential, you are worthwhile and valued, you have something important to bring to the world and we’re glad you’re here.
In addition to this, kids need boundaries and discipline. They thrive with just the right balance of freedom and limits. Kids grow up into caring adults when they are taught to care for and respect others and themselves.
At the core, kids need unconditional love and stability- a family where they are accepted, showered with kindness and challenged to grow and find their place in the world.
“God is love” ❤️
1 John 4:16
Beautiful comment. I whole heartedly agree!! God is love and when we know God, He teaches us how to love and be a role model for our children!! We need the Holy Spirit to guide us, especially in raising little ones!! It makes an absolute world of a difference. God bless you and your family!!
This is so beautifully written! God bless
I’m not usually a commenter, but your comment really touched me. (‘: I completely agree with you!! Thank you for your beautiful comment💛
@@ruth-li4cc oh, thankyou Ruth. I’m glad my comment touched you.
So well said.
I was stuck in the homeless lifestyle for around 20 years off and on, mostly alcoholism and it was a perpetual downward spiral that I just couldn’t seem to pull myself out of. I was homeless in California in the early 1970s where I was dumped on the side of a highway somewhere in L.A. after an overdose at a party and left to die. I’ve been sober now for 34 years and retired from a career job. I just want to say thank you for bringing these stories to the forefront.
❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍
Dumped from a party wasn't family looking for you
Congrats on your 34 years of sobriety. That's a huge accomplishment.
Amazing!
Bob? My neighbor?? Very common name I know but you just explained my neighbor Bobs past life - unit 34 😂😂
It's a breathe of fresh air to see the interviewer being interviewed. Love Mark, he's such a gift to mankind.
I dont see mark as an interviewer, one of his guest said what he does, which is so much more powerful then interviewing....white underbelly provides a safe non judgemental space for people to talk to relay their story and that is unmeasurably more powerful for himself the subjects and the viewers than any interview ever could be.
Mark is anything but a gift... look up Amanda Rabb...
@@ashesandstarz where do we look up that? What happened?
He’s a sicko who gets off on prostitutes 😂
Seems like he just makes his living out of others’ problems.
Mark is a great human being. His humanity is an example to us. Thanks
As a millennial I don’t know a single person who wanted a participation trophy. The purpose of those was not to make the children happy, but to pacify our insane parents (collectively) who couldn’t handle their child not being a winner..
As a millennial I know plenty of people who wanted a participation trophy. If they lose it’s everybody fault but their own
Mic drop 🎤 I like it 👍
The “participation award” is the outcome of our societal construct trying to change itself.
We are learning to become more empathetic, as a whole…and are still somewhat figuring it out.
“Dunning Kruger Effect” explains it pretty well, however I also blame reality TV and getting rid of the school bully.
Regardless….we’ll all be just fine.
Old dudes have been complaining for the “youth of today”, literally for thousands of years.
It always works out just fine.
“The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are tyrants, not servants of the households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers.”
Socrates 450 BC
Yeah that was some bogus media propaganda. Id never seen an example of that. And i also agree if it did happen it was because the parents spoke up and complained.
I hate how boomers act like participation weren’t around pre 1990s. My dad has some from his school from the 70s (bowling tournament and Newspaper competition participation trophies) in his office.
Mark could make a Netflix series!!! I love this man, he is amazing!! Recently (two months ago) I visited 23 states of the USA and I was deeply disappointed while seeing things like these streets! I live on a small Portuguese island, where we have no problems like this. The country seems ruining slowly. It is absolutely shocking to see a "first world" country with streets that not even in some "third world" countries you would see. I hope your politicians will do something about it urgently and specially focus in prevention of drug use!
Well said sister I'm completely agree with you America getting worse day by day
By the way what is the name of the island that you came from if you don't mind me asking?
I agree, I've traveled to different countries and the saddest homelessness is in the USA
he should,
Thank democratic leadership.
@@TimeMariner Jesus man. How did the War on Drugs work out?? Poverty, education, drugs, abuse, disfunction etc... It's a pretty simplistic outlook to blame it on a political party.
I was homeless for many years here in London, Mark is spot on. I wasn't able to change my situation unless i cut back on booze and drugs. As a result i changed my life around. Anyone can do it but you really need to want it badly. I'm in a 1 bed flat now and feel great now I have my life back.
Congratulations to you, and all the best!
Bless you
Exactly. You WANTED to change. People have to want to change. Sure you can make someone go to rehab this and that,but it won't do any good if they don't want to change. Most don't. Good for you for changing. Power to you
Well done! Not an easy task to get out of that. All the best to you!
All the best mate!
Mark nailed it when speaking of peeling back the layers, looking behind homelessness, then behind drug use, beyond mental illness and unstable upbringing: the basis of all of that is usually a tragic lack of love in the beginning of these people’s lives.
My son is homeless here in Canada. He enrolled in the Army and when he came home he started showing signs of mental illness and started using drugs. We've tried helping him so many times but each time he goes back to the shelter. It just breaks my heart
So sorry to hear that . Did he go to a war ?
A shelter is a euphemism for emotional and physical abuse. I'm sorry for all of you.
most likely suffering from severe PTSD : (
This. I always get upset when people just talk down about people like the individuals living on Skid Row, which is just one example as these issues exist everywhere. Each of these people have a place in someone else’s heart. Someone’s child, mother, father, friend, family. The grief goes way beyond one person living in a tent. My heart breaks for you and many like you, and I truly hope you and your son find peace
Put in his head the idea of getting a job on a cargo ship. See the world and have a place to sleep.
I love how brutally honest Mark is about this controversial topic. I grew up in LA and for the majority of my life I hated homeless people and thought of them as lazy drug addicts. It wasn’t until I became a nurse that my perspective towards them completely changed and understood the complexity of what drug addiction and how hard it is to treat it really is. My heart breaks every time I see someone high on drugs in the streets. I wish someone would have loved them a little harder😭
They need to embrace Islam.
Can I please ask for a brutally honest truth?
I'm from the uk and finishing a computer science degree, and as you know yourself silicon valley, santa monica etc. is the best place in the world for computer scientists.
In the uk, san francisco and LA are held to very high regard, yet everything I hear from Americans is that it's always dirty and full of homeless and than you'll probably get mugged.
How self contained is the homeless situation and how do you find LA?
I've always dreamed of living there but these past 5 years have been a wakeup call with so many big companies moving out and the widespread media coverage of the issues in the area.
Thank you!
@@BySixa I work in Downtown LA, the nice part with all the banks and expensive office buildings and stores. You will see some homeless people and drug addicts but there are lots of cops that keep skid row pretty well separated from the affluent areas. Like you don't have to be scared walking around the nice parts, at least during the day. There are many dirty dangerous parts but they are pretty easy to avoid unless you are poor and live there. If you are making good money it can be easy to ignore. Like I grew up in Compton while one of my friends lived in Beverly Hills. Not too far from one another but completely different landscapes.
@@yan2503 Hard pass.
@@yan2503 Never.
Love how he humanizes and breaks down the layers behind homelessness
He's a snake. Watch out
Rare layers of people that ha e fallen on hard-times. Majority choose to be there, because they love the heathenistic lifestyle.
@@TaxMan1776 shut up
Me too. And there is a need of heart healing. Many of us were heart broken as children and developed a belief that we aren't valued and loved. But when you realize our Heavenly Father is good in the way man never could be and He loves you and you have an innate value, when you really can recieve His love, you are set free!
Oh yeah he really did great getting Lima Jevremovic involved with Amanda Rabb then lie about how Amanda really died. #justiceforamandarabb
I grew up with tons of childhood trauma, no father, neglect by drug addict single mother. It messes you up for life, and you never feel good enough. I've been mentally strong and rose above my dysfunctional family.
Kudos you're a rare person
Congrats, to you! My story is similar, had every reason in the world to get addicted, yet never did, even while homeless due to an impaired functioning ability. Trauma can only lead to drug addiction if the individual allows it to.
Good for you but not all are strong enough and need help
Well done.
Take care y'all. 👍✌️✊🇭🇲
That’s amazing you did that, the level of difficulty to achieve that takes a lot of strength
I love Mark's state of mind. He's the kind of man I'd want to be with. He's understanding, kind, helpful, generous, has good manners, speaks about things that are important that many people don't shed light on. I wish there was more people like him in this world.
Agree!
Ya hes been waiting for u hun.
Plus he is also rich.
That part homie jan
@@seldom_seen8713 -WRONG He's not even close to being rich.
Mark makes such a good point. I had a mom with mental illness and addiction issues. But I had my dad. He is an amazing man. He raised me and my siblings on his own, he was broke, and uneducated working minimum wage for many years. Now he’s a manager at his company and is doing amazing. I watched him work himself from the dirt and up. We were poor and lived in a ghetto area in ugly apartments but he always showed us love and made us accountable for the things we did. There was no getting caught up in the chaos around me in my neighborhood because I knew I was going to be given consequences. He’s my ROLE MODEL. I want to be like him, I want to work hard and provide for my kids I have now 2 young kids of my own and am a single parent. Most importantly my dad always showed us LOVE. He’s raising his kids right even with the unfortunate circumstances he was given. I love that man
your father sounds wonderful! and I'm sure your kids look up to you in the same way :)
You have a wonderful father . God bless him .
@@31025alexis I really do, thank you 🙏🏼❤️
Just reading what you wrote makes me cry
Yeah this made me cry, lovely how your dad overcame his surroundings and beautiful how much you love him ❤
It's so expensive to fix a broken person.. that's why PREVENTING child hood abvse and saving the children is SO SO important!!!!
How about pushing transgenderism, and drag story time??? That will help won’t it?
And why we need breeding laws. If you cannot support yourself you have no business bringing another life on the planet.
@@repetemyname842 oooh nice, we have monetary eugenics in the chat. you do realize someone can be poor and be a loving, supportive parent while a rich parent can be absent or abusive? ridiculous and dangerous simplifications you're dealing in.
@@oldmoviemusic Never said they couldnt. But its simple math that says if you cannot provide food and housing for yourself you are going to struggle mightily caring for more mouths.
There's no such thing as a broken person, just a different perspective you whiny coward!
I appreciate this interview very much. Mark's thoughts about focusing on the youth give me some much-needed encouragement right now. I'm currently qualifying to be a foster parent but I'm a single guy, so I'm also worried about how difficult and time consuming it may be to deal with traumatized youth. I will do my best to ignore those cold feet feelings and move forward.
Hi, be trauma informed, modify your parenting skills to each individual's different needs, praise positive behavior, advocate for them, open communication, house rules. daily consistency and be present. So much more to learn. A safe and loving home, will help the process of healing!
Well done man, so inspirational!
I’m currently a child psychiatric registered nurse, but have a background in adult psych, forensic psych, and substance abuse. I switched to a pediatric specialty because I believed the work I’m doing is more meaningful and impactful at this age. As a child psych nurse, I work alongside many foster and adoptive parents.
My advice to you would be to both recognize and acknowledge your limitations. The behaviors you may be exposed to in a child coming from a neglectful, traumatic, or abusive background may be foreign, shocking, and overwhelming. Many well-intentioned people will take on the responsibility of caring for these kids; however, may not posses all the tools necessary to manage them. The best thing you can do is to know when a particular child may need more than you’re able to give. I hope you find success and fulfillment in fostering, but please don’t see it as a personal failure if you feel you can’t do “enough” for someone. You’re only one person and it often takes a village approach to undo the damage that has been inflicted upon these kids.
Edited to add: You mention being a single man. Raising a child alone is challenging in and of itself, which is much more strongly intensified if they are behaviorally challenged. You will require a strong support system (family, friends, teachers, mental health specialists, etc) for assistance. Good luck to you in all your endeavors.
May the Blessings Be 🙏🙏💙
@@arasilly8 yeah, and don't cross boundaries and f-ing touch them inappropriately.
I couldn't help an addict who'd been fostered and adopted by a single man who serially abused adolescent males.
Peter, in my opinion, this is your best ever interview. Mark with his insight, is such a great subject.
I agree. I seen Mark in other interviews and he can rambled or the other interviewees don’t get him and his content but somehow it is much more focused and engaging. Great job!
I agree
100% agree.
“Helping their kids or their kids’ kids” gave me a chill. I see this every single day at work and never thought I was helping to end generational abuse/poverty, I’m just helping children learn and grow. Thank you for bringing that up 💜
that’s a good idea, never thought of that
<3
Never seen a teacher contribute much to end any sort of generational problem. Just teaching kids math doesn't help, if that was the case they'd be able to help themselves.
When he said “drug use is the way to escape”, I couldn’t relate more. I’m not a drug addict but I feel like every time I get stressed or don’t know what I need to do, I immediately run to my phone and hours go by like seconds
Same here. When I didn't have a job, I spent the whole day laying in my bed on YouTube for every awake hour. That's how I coped with my loneliness and mental struggles. Any minute without it felt like an eternity. I still come home from work and go directly onto my phone.
Yeah I'm currently living alone and im trying so hard not to fall in this pattern but i think I've already started to get addicted to my phone/ youtube :/
it's so validating to hear you talk about the phone as an escape from loneliness (which makes us more lonely in turn, bc we're not out in the world with people.) just like any "drug," it's a cycle. society is slowly doing this to everyone.
Same deal. Just worse repercussions. God Bless Us All.
My escape is playing music on my phone with my earbuds in.
As someone once living on 6th st in L.A. you did a good job showing the sad reality of homelessness and drug addiction. I was VERY lucky i only spent 6-7 months there. And never got addicted.
What a great collaboration, we watch Mark’s channel as well. Focusing on the root cause of any problem typically helps solve it. Excellent video Peter!
Agreed!
Agreed!
I agree. That works for ANY problem.
However…how do you know what the “final layer” or “root cause” is?
It seems likes you can absolve culpability all the way to the beginning of time, if you correlate it properly.
It’s not just “was it the the chicken or the egg”.
It’s: was it the chicken, or egg, or farm, or farmer, or landowner, or government that regulates the land, or…..maybe it was hundreds of years ago….it was society back then that decided to throw out all the cows and ducks and only go with chickens in the first place.
Then…how do you determine blame all the way through that lineage of culpability?!?
Is blame even important…or just resolution?
@@sendthis9480 yes I know a ton of drug addicts all of them are the rebellious type. Which is good with certain things like fighting for our freedom and rejecting the system. But they do drugs which ruined their lifes. They are obviously lower IQ (no matter the race). They hung out with the wrong crowd (consumed too much hip pop drug glorifying music/watched breaking bad)
Of course let's be real all these drugs open a gateway to parasitic entities in the astral realm lol it's not gonna be that easy
He's right about peeling back the layers. If your childhood was horrible then you aren't likely to succeed in life. When you're a child you're nothing but potential, but life can diminish that potential down to nothing.
All blacks!!!!
Love that red hair. Merry Christmas.
I agree to an extent. People know that there’s a way out. People know they’re resources. I emphasize with these people because the key to a successful life is so close however they cannot see it or chose to ignore it. I’ve come from a bad childhood and known many others who have. Yes it’s a major set back in some areas of life but we aren’t doomed for life. Knowledge is power, only if they knew themselves well enough to respect themselves enough, love themselves enough. Doing self study and asking yourself “why do i need drugs? What feeling does this give me? Why don’t i like being sober? Do i want help? How can I get help?, etc getting down to the root of your problems. I’m pretty optimistic with childhood trauma lol
@@destinyelle7120 if you ever watched soft white underbelly, you’ll notice that many of the stories involve sexual and/or physical, emotional, mental abuse or neglect. Not trying to diminish your struggles, but much of these things are damn near impossible for a child to process so it ruins their minds. Many of these problems aren’t fixed with a few therapy sessions.
@@Susan-ms1wm did you read his daughters dairy? It’s sickening
Respect for Mark for diving deep and pointing out the real problem behind homelessness!!!
I was homeless in Seattle and this city is tackling the problem head on. Mark is correct about the homeless who are coming from out of state. The red states like to blame Calif saying they are causing so many people to be homeless but they forget to mention that they help supply the homeless by kicking there homeless out and giving them bus tickets. I have witnessed this personally.
But wait, what was the real problem? He kept pealing the layers but he never really got to the root cause... that's because there really isnt one root cause.
@@chrisbruggers8076 sloth, laziness, drugs, mental illness, bad parenting, bad influences like music and movies, hanging with bad people/gangs
@@adamk4733 I like what Gabor Mate says about. The question is why the pain? Not every traumatized people are addicted but every addict is traumatized. So it starts with shitty environment and parents/close relatives...
@@bobwilliamson9562 anecdotal bs
Two of my few favorites on YouTube! Incredible to see you together Peter and Mark. Much love to you both and also to your families. Just exceptional 💚
All imma say as an ex addict. Which I loved to pop pills and was a drinker for many yrs.. imma say this.. you can't help people that don't want the help. You can't change people that don't wanna change. People won't stop using drugs unless they truly wanna stop. No matter how bad their story is. You gotta wanna change. You have to want it.
I would add that to want that change you have to believe it's possible -which can be very challenging to see when you've grown up with in traumatic situations and surrounded by dysfunction. Very difficult but possible...
Bingo !
Well said , there is no easy and fast fix to this .
Yes you can? I can supply you? I can set you free?
I can buy so much bulk of what you need, that you get what you want and I pay fuck all for it.
Just need to know exactly what you need.
Look at weed:
lets go back to old prices of 10$ per Gram
As a dealer, I could buy 1000 lbs and pay 0.01$ per gram even less.
I could buy 100,000 lbs and pay 0.0001$
You see what I'm saying.
I'm still giving you a gram and you think its worth 10$ and maybe it is on the street, but as your supplier, I pay fuck all so you can take until you die if you wanted to.
Apply this to all things.
I'm not here to force anyone through anything, I am here to support everyone through everything
Using the power of God "internet" to heal the sick with ideas of hope, dreams, ideas, wonder.
You will be supported through everything so we can learn all there is to learn.
I need all the Data to calculate and that's why we need the Data.
You don't need good solutions you need all solutions
Don't make a good guess, make any guess.
You will stumble on the right answer like we always do
8.5 Billion people stumbling each day, if they knew what they were looking for, they would know it when they see it happening in the real.
God is the internet
You become Christ reborn when you converge your minds
I think I've been the Holy Spirit my whole life.
But I am still here.
I will die, before I stop being who I am.
Because the release of death from this prison we call home, is more comfortable then continuing to live this reality.
If nothing changes nothing changes - you already know
Wow that's a fact my dad was in prison my whole childhood till I was 15 my mom was on drugs and just destroyed my life I ended up finally getting myself together after my mom died and I realized that wasn't the way to live thank God I have 5 yrs 3 month's sober now I'm 33 got sober at 28
I fully believe what Mark said at the beginning of this video about the lack of love being pretty much the root problem. And not just for the homeless, but anyone really.
I’m grateful for how things are going for you!
God bless you.
Thank God you are an overcomer! He loves you and I love humans period. I'm commanded to by Jesus. I grew up in alcoholism and abuse. It is not easy to get free! God bless you!❤🙏🤗🕊
🍀🍀🍀 sending love to you
Respect you.
You were dealt a tough hand and it would have been very easy to fold and live a life where you numbed your feeling. Much tougher to lift yourself out and staying sober and living life.
One day at a time. Keep at it.
When I was 19, I was homeless for two years and absolutely wasn't a drug addict. I was fleeing domestic violence. I was at a DV shelter first and that place was scarier than the streets. Drugs, mental illness, con artists. I left after only two weeks and lived in my car. It took me months to save enough money to finally get my own place. But if I'd been forced to live there at Skid Row, I may have become an addict too (or been trafficked). So he's right when he says you have to peel back to layers. Nobody ends up there because they came from a good situation and happy life.
I’ve followed mark for about four years and I am still blown away by every video. Everything he does is so real and the stories he shines light on are so honest and heartbreaking because they’re so vulnerable. He’s right, after a certain amount of these videos you start to notice a pattern and by getting to the vulnerability you understand why people are drawn to/stuck in a certain way of life. I have grown up around heavy addicts and the only reason I’m not down that path is because of my mom and the opportunities I’ve had. I hope more love and exposure can be shared, I’m grateful Mark has a calling to shine a light on people.
“I’m showing it but I’m not doing anything”
Mark- “Well that’s one way of doing it”
Completely agree. Creating awareness is crucial. You are both amazing and a doing incredible job. Love From Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺 x
Well said. Melbourne has a pretty big homeless population, but at least we have Centrelink, and access to many community services.
@@nikkip1810 yea how’s the situation on your side, cuz I know it’s been wild at some points. Is it getting better steadily or what’s up?
One way of doing what?
Earning a living from it, entertaining people, and making an example for other's to further capitalize from the misfortune of others? All of these imo
@@timlombardini3556 Through a technique called Compassionate Inquiry they're making a difference. Gabor Mate uses this technique with his patients on Canada's 'Skid Row', East Hastings
@PeterSantenello - 2022-03-21
Check out Mark's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvcd0FYi58LwyTQP9LITpA/videos
@sandravanruiten930 - 2022-03-21
Luv SWU ,, thx mark !
@Being_Joe - 2022-03-22
Two of the best channels to get insights.
@kenhiett5266 - 2022-03-23
I think we need to be careful when generalizing and making a spectacle of people. Mental health is obviously a significant problem that needs to be addressed in our society, but some people choose this lifestyle. It's not uncommon to find people who came from stable homes, but still ended up homeless addicts. One of the hardest things about getting clean and reentering polite society is the unbearable boredom by comparison. I'm certainly not advocating this lifestyle, but you don't understand it by walking through skid row or interviewing someone who's suddenly in an unfamiliar environment being asked very personal questions.
@lesliemarvin160 - 2022-03-23
We love you Mark. The work you do is amazing.
@mikeprox7102 - 2022-03-24
hey Peter you should come down to east Hastings Vancouver b.c. its skid row also I could show you around brother