Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Poker
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are the principals this country was founded on. However, once again, the Congress and the President alike have failed to preserve these “unalienable rights”, with the passage of a ban on internet gambling. Supporters of the bill have used protecting children and gambling addicts as their justification for passing the legislation. The law interestingly carves out niches for state lotteries (imagine that) and horse racing since we all know gambling addicts and children aren’t participating in these activities (right???). While I’m not out to ban horse racing and lotteries, I do find it ridiculous to take a stand based on helping gambling addicts, when we’ve known for years that both of these avenues are regularly abused by compulsive gamblers. Attend any Gamblers Anonymous meeting and you’ll hear countless stories of huge losses at the track and unbelievable lottery obsessions. The fact is, as with any addiction, no matter what kind of bans you put in place, the addicts will find a way to get their fix. The only thing the ban really accomplishes is making it riskier for the addict. What starts as a way to protect addicts, ends up placing them at greater risk. I would challenge anyone to show me one piece of prohibition legislation that has ever abolished anything. History tells us the people will do what the people will do.
Liberty, one of those “unalienable rights” is the reason. Like it or not, the people are going to pursue their freedom. It’s the very reason for our countriy’s existence. Yes, freedom means freedom to vote, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, but it also means the freedom to screw up. As sad or repulsive as it may seem to some, you have the freedom to blow your money on sex, drugs, rock & roll, and gambling. To try protecting people from screwing up their credit, their families, their health, their lives is the ultimate act of Big Brother. This is a huge slippery slope with no end. How many of us know someone that spends too much at the mall? Eats too much? Smokes too much? Dates the wrong the people? Cheats on their spouse? Doesn’t exercise? Exercises too much? Spanks their kids? Doesn’t spank their kids? I mean…where does it end? Who decides what to ban? What not to ban? Congress…please!
The last thing this law is about is protecting children and gambling addicts. I’m sorry but Congress doesn’t do anything without a hidden agenda. It could be about pandering to voters that want to push their morality on a country. Or, as one of my friends suggested, it could be about protecting the Vegas and Indian casino interests from overseas competition. Whatever the reason, you can bet (no pun intended) it’s about protecting some special interest and not about preserving the liberties of the American people (which is the duty of Congress). Unfortunately, the “Land of the Free” could learn something about freedom from the European Union and Canada.
Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary - Liberty
1: the quality or state of being free a: the power to do as one pleases b: freedom from physical restraint c: freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d: the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e: the power of choice
