Dear Editor,
My wife and I recently enjoyed watching the Indiana vs. Miami National Championship football game on television. On our humble Social Security income, we could never afford or justify the tickets, which cost an estimated $4,000 to $5,000 each.
When the TV announcers mentioned the exorbitant ticket prices, I immediately thought about the humanitarian issues at play. This was especially poignant as Denver's temperatures had dropped below freezing for 72 hours. It makes one wonder why there isn't a greater "homeless migration" from freezing states to warmer places like Key West, Florida, known for its motto, "One Human Family."
My hope is that those who can afford such expensive sports and entertainment tickets will be moved when they witness our homeless friends forced to camp out in such inhumane, frigid conditions. A one-way bus ticket to Key West, purchased two days in advance, costs around $213. This simple fact highlights the disparity: we could purchase approximately 20 bus tickets for the price of a single game ticket.
As a former mayor, I worry that governments and nonprofits may hesitate to support such migration trips because of an institutional focus on maintaining local "number counts," which often serves to support their own job security, rather than the immediate humanitarian need.
I would take that migration bus if possible — and a retired public school principal I spoke with would, too. Would you? Remember the old saying “WWJD?
Mike Sawyer
Former Mayor of Midland City, Alabama
Youth advocate and activist since 1983
Denver, Colorado
