UNITED STATES—There is something about the glitz, glamour and lights of Las Vegas that allures so many people. The countless high-end, celebrity restaurants, the various casinos, the countless attractions, the shopping, the extravagant resorts/hotels, the gambling scene, but amongst all of that there is something people rarely talk about: homelessness, despair, blight and parts that appear destitute.
Yes, homelessness is everywhere you turn, but in Las Vegas it strikes you in a way that not many people see it. I mean on every corner, in front of every resort there are homeless people who are in desperate need. Many of them without clothing, food and doing everything in their power to survive. Las Vegas has some extreme heat, but can you imagine being exposed to weather between the 90s and 100s for almost 24 hours.
I know I could NOT do it, so imagine the homeless having to endure such things. It is no easy pill to swallow people when you see the sights it haunts you. I just kept telling myself this city has so much wealth, why in the hell isn’t much more being done to curb this issue. It almost felt like this was the norm for so many people. They get used to it, they don’t care and it is what it is so there is NOT more you can do about it. However, I disagree with that assertion. There is something that can always be done, however, you should not expect others to feel the same way that you do, however, I know I was not the only person blind to what I was seeing.
No matter what hotel or resort you ventured to the plight of the homeless was in your face. In one of the glitzy, top-tier resorts I spotted a homeless individual that had flies circling the individual and I mean all over, the face, the shoes, the body, it was horrifying to witness, but I wanted to do something, but the individual wanted no help. They had unfortunately become accustomed to that lifestyle, which makes you wonder the WHY element?
Has no one attempted to reach out and help them in their time of need? Yes, it does indeed feel that way unfortunately America and that is something I want to desperately change as soon as possible. The city of sin has too much wealth to turn a blind eye to the plight of these people. You have these portions of Las Vegas as I like to call it: New Vegas and Old Vegas and you see the despair of the city between the wealth and those without out. I mean you walk into a Walgreens that barely has any product, and the product they have is all chained or secured to prevent theft.
You see the blight and destruction of the city that is people are to overlook, but here’s the problem, you cannot overlook such because it is so obvious, well at least it was for me. You cannot turn you face away even if you try and the craziest thing I noticed you have two sides of the Las Vegas Strip. One side with your more elegant hotels, the other side, not so much and guess what you see more trash, more homeless, more disarray on one side compared to the other. What does that say people, tell me what does that say? One side does its best to minimize the amount of trash and loitering, while the other allows it to roam free. They expect it and very little is done to change it. It is sad, but that is the harsh reality of Las Vegas. Under all the glitz and glamour of the city, there is so much darkness that if you just look a bit closer you cannot escape, even if you wanted to.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
