This is a British documentary that aired on BBC 3 five years ago in 2016. It documents the plight of two transgender women and a couple of men who were once criminals….as they live their existence in one of the most hardened, once successful cities in America, Detroit. It was heart breaking to hear their stories.
I read some of the comments which really bothered me… There were a few who said they did not feel sorry for them, that they made poor decisions. It’s so easy to judge other people, isn’t it? It’s so easy to cast blame on the poor, who many were born into a life of disadvantage. We don’t know what kind of decisions we would make when presented with very few options. It’s literally the survival of the fittest..
The presenter, Stacey Dooley did an excellent job; she showed compassion, empathy and no judgement as each one told their stories. In her epilogue she said that Detroit is a city in one of the richest countries in the world, yet people are suffering like this.
I heard comments , such ass, it’s their own fault. But is it? Or are they victims of corporate greed and public apathy? It’s easy to cast blame when we have been afforded access to a good education, food every day and a stable home.
Some people have to work a lot harder to rise above poverty than others. We all weren’t born into an equal society, where everyone starts the game of life at the same starting point. There are a lot of inequities. There are a lot of barriers for those that don’t have the proper tools to do better in life. Many weren’t afforded the same privileges that many others have. So I disagree that the reason they are in dire straights is based exclusively on their decisions. We must dig deeper as a society into why these decisions were even made in the first place.
I saw at the closing credits that there is another documentary, but this time in Chicago. I didn’t see it on Stacey Dooley’s YouTube channel.. I hope that I can find it somewhere.
