Story by Lucy Wilder, Parnassus; Edited by Lale Akkin, Mounds View; Illustration by Lindley Johnson, Shakopee
“I think we should give ideas a chance, and that’s where I come in”
Rowan Huh, Wayzata delegation, penned a bill that has caught the eye of many. In it, he proposed that the State of Minnesota should conduct non-lethal, refereed gladiatorial games for people who are homeless and incarcerated. “I think we should give ideas a chance, and that’s where I come in,” said Huh.
The goal of the games would be to provide those people with a morale boost and a way out of their current lifestyles. For homeless winners, the prize would be a cut of the profit from ticket sales. The incarcerated victors would receive probation or a shortened sentence, depending on how violent their crimes were.
The bill started out as a joke bill, but morphed into something more as Huh wrote it. His goal was to bring aid to the less fortunate in a more creative way than is offered by his peers. A self-identified history buff, he proposed using Ancient Roman weapons to carry out the games. Additionally, he predicted that with tourism on the rise in Minnesota, these games could further Minnesota’s economic growth.
The bill entertained a lot of energetic discussion as it went through Sanford House’s Transportation Committee. “There was much confusion and debate over whether the battles would be lethal or non-lethal…” said Gabe Peterson, from the Hastings delegation.
After much debate, the bill did not pass through Committee, but it was certainly a unique concept.