A Return of the Gladiator Games

The high incidence of violent crime occurring around the world has prompted some to look to history for a solution. A group of historians has noted how the Gladiator games of the Roman Empire were a way for both those who wish to practice violence and those who wish to watch it to have their wishes fulfilled in a legal and relatively safe way.

In reality, those gladiator games were no more violent than today’s action movies. The major differences being the lack of a plot and the removal of the television screen. Allowing the audience to see the action up close and in living color adds a sense of realism that Hollywood just can’t reproduce.

This somewhat drastic move is also seen as a way to eliminate the overcrowding in our prisons. Estimates have been made which state that prison overcrowding could be totally eliminated within one year of the legalization of these new gladiator games.

Finding volunteers for these games should be no problem, as many confined criminals are violent by nature. Prisoners could be given the opportunity of better accommodations, special privileges and even reduced jail sentences for participating in the games. While opponents state that this would put society at risk, backers of the plan counter that it would be no worse than letting these prisoners out early, on bail, a common practice to reduce crowding in our prisons.

The added advantage is that some of these prisoners wouldn’t ever get free, rather dying in the games. That would eliminate the dual problems of their return to society and of paying to house them incarcerated.

Additional volunteers could be solicited from gangs, criminals who have never been captured, drug cartels, terrorists, wife beaters and all others who feel a need to cause others pain and destroy their lives. It is estimated that there are enough lovers of violence in the world to provide participants for the games for a minimum of 50 years.

One should not overlook the potential entertainment value of these gladiator games either. While the Roman’s games were well attended, they didn’t have the advantages of television and the Internet. The advertising revenue alone would probably pay for our entire criminal justice system, freeing up the money we are now spending on it for reduction of the national debt. Truly, this plan provides the opportunity for a financial and cultural awakening in the U.S.

While there are those whose sensibilities might be offended by such stark violence, there are many others who revel in it. The same attitude is being displayed towards opponents, as exists for those who oppose football, the Olympics or any other sport; “if you don’t like it, ignore it.”

Before any active games can be started, there are a number of logistics and safety issues which must be resolved. There is a clear need for rules about what sorts of weapons will be allowed, along with safety measures to be created for protecting the audience. It is recognized that using criminals as contestants creates a safety risk, as the contestants are just as likely to turn their weapons on the spectators as each other. Yet, it is felt that these potential problems can be overcome.