Confronting the Myth of Choice: Homelessness and Jones v. City of Los Angeles.

The author reflects on his experience of being a homeless person, the Myth of Choice, and his reaction to the Jones v. City of Los Angeles case. The author recalls being told not to read the newspaper in the morning in the homeless shelter, as well as not to initiate talk with other shelter residents about politics or local homeless policy. He notes the Myth of Choice which asserts that homeless people are homeless because they made bad choices. He argues that the Myth of Choice is a response to society's cognitive dissonance which is the disconnect between the success people believe is possible and the existence of homelessness. He notes that the Jones decision highlights how poorly made policy responses are created by the Myth of Choice.