So the Super Bowl was this past weekend, but unless one of my teams (Go Cowboys, BYU, Mavericks, and Stars!) is playing, I'm not really one to watch sports. Even then, it's iffy.
Nonetheless, I understand that the Super Bowl is a big deal to many. As such, fans pay inordinately large sums of money to attend the game and cheer on their team, cities bid on hosting the bowl and, in the hopes of raking in the tourist revenue, spend billions to renovate their stadiums and surrounding city. Companies will pay literally millions of dollars for an advertisement that will air for a few seconds, in the hopes of attracting some of the 100+ million viewers to buy their product. The Super bowl may profess to be about two teams duking it out on a field with a ball made from pigskin, but the bowl itself really is all about money.
So, surprisingly, I wasn't too surprised when I read this article, which brings another facet of the Super Bowl to light. It's a darker and uglier side that isn't pleasant to think about— but something is only as strong as its weakest parts, and this makes the Super Bowl a little less 'super', in my opinion.
The article talks about the impact this huge event has on sex trafficking. According to the article, approximately 10,000 women and children were involved in sex-trafficking during the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami. Some were American, and some were foreign. All were victims. In the US, $9/5 billion is annually grossed from the victimization of these women and children— Around large events where there are travelers from far away, there tends to be an influx of people willing to sell themselves or others to make a few bucks. Many reports have confirmed that during these events and "peak-demand times" girls have served as many as 45 clients a day. My heart breaks for these people who are often kidnapped or lured into this life by pimps and massive sex rings. But, as we established earlier: the Super Bowl is all about money, and money talks.
I believe as we become aware of and work to eradicate this immoral and life-shattering practice, we can save lives. A little idealistic? Perhaps. But we have to try.
For more information or ideas about how you can help, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center 1-888-373-7888.
4 comments:
I read that article, or a similar one a few weeks ago and was totally appalled! As horrible as it is to think about we HAVE to think about, talk about and STOP human trafficking. And what better place to start than awareness about this issue at the Superbowl! Wouldn't it be great if a human trafficking awareness ad ran during the Superbowl!
Oh...my...goodness. I had no idea that was happening! How awful and horrifying. That was a shock to me and would be to many others I am sure. Thanks for sharing. Awareness does have to be the first step! If nobody knows about it, how can it change?
I read this same article too... Super fascinating/ horrifying. Sex trafficking even occurs in Utah though.... So sad. Thanks for sharing.
Sometimes I really can't believe what people will do "for money"
horrible!
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