Gambling and Hypocrisy
We join those who correctly state, that we are a terribly
hypocritical society, when it comes to gambling in our society. There is no
empirical evidence, that casino gambling will destroy the moral fabric of our
society. To those who continue to resist its introduction, we remind them that
it generates employment and is a form of personal recreation.
Gambling is widespread in Barbados. A point clearly made by
Mr. Al Gilkes, in a recent column in the Nation Newspaper(Sunday Sun). Stories
are legendary about big shot politicians and business persons, losing personal
fortunes and plantations changing hands because of losing big poker games. It
is a known fact, that one of our most revered, late prime ministers was a
master poker player. Many families have been ruined because of addiction to
poker and other forms of gambling including horse racing. Quite recently, the
current DLP administration, wrote off millions of dollars the Barbados Turf Club
owed the treasury.
Those who frequent one arm bandit arcades can speak of
workers leaving their earnings in one arm bandits. Their empty pay packets,
being swept off the floors, the morning after by janitorial staff. Many poor
underpaid workers head for the arcades, in the hope of winning a jackpot. These
bandits enrich a few and the buddies of our politicians.
Millions of dollars in wages and salaries do not reach homes
because of poker, bandits, horse racing and other forms of gambling. Barbados
is a capitalist society and cannot escape the reality of citizens spending
their money as they please. Casino gambling will not introduce gambling to our
society; it will merely be the icing on the cake, of a society in moral and economic
free fall.
The collective BLP/DLP governments have contributed to
Barbadians being hooked on gambling. They knew what there were doing when they
allowed one arm bandits and racing pools to operate in our island state. The state
approved lotteries and other forms of gambling, sap much needed income from
very poor families whose wage earners cannot afford to gamble.
They now get in parliament and shed crocodile tears about
casino gambling on cruise ships docked in our seaport. Those who facilitated
the bandits, state approved lotteries, are now pretending they have been washed
in the blood of the lamb. We agree with Al Gilkes that gambling is rampant in
our society.
The BLP/DLP has no moral high ground on this issue. Their
collective hypocrisy would be laughable if it were not so pathetic.
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