What right does anyone have to tell you where or when you can gamble? The Toronto Star is feeding Torontonians sanctimonious claptrap in its fight against having a Toronto casino. The posturing politicians at city hall are worse. They have no idea what their constituents want done about casinos. And if even just one in ten of Toronto’s citizens want to have a casino in the city, what right do those who do not want to go to a casino to stop it?
Grow up TorStar! Act like a newspaper that cares for our rights. Are you going to demand a plebiscite for new churches next? That will be fun. You can spread vicious rumours about the secret rites that might be practiced at prayer meetings. You can warn against the dangers of tithing. You can spread distrust about the morals of the pastor. Do you want a city that will toe your myopic editorial line?
Gambling is not something we should only enable in back rooms, run by sleezebags and with games of questionable honesty. People gamble. It is a very human activity. People were tossing the bones in wagers before they developed dice. Playing cards predate Margaret Atwood. The Roman Church first used the vernacular to call: Under the ‘B,’ three. When the hockey season finally ends, we can still get together for a friendly poker game.
Is there something moral in the Star dissing a casino? Are you purer than the pure? We went to a casino the other evening, had a great dinner, saw a fabulous live show (The Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and won a few bucks at the craps table. We each had one alcoholic beverage all evening and were home in bed shortly after midnight. We cannot figure out what we did that you consider so wrong. And, oh yes, the casino treated us to the dinner and show.
If you are worried about gambling addiction, you are barking up the wrong tree about that. Look at the great job we are doing in Toronto on banning street drugs. We have had years to eliminate alcohol addiction. There are still addicted smokers polluting doorways around town. Barring casinos in Toronto hardly stops addictive gamblers from gambling in Toronto.
Listen up TorStar: Canadians have a right to gamble if they want. Just look at recent elections results and tell us that we do not gamble.
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Copyright 2012 © Peter Lowry
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