By Jimenita Swain ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ jimenita@nasguard.com:
A Nassau Guardian team walked the streets yesterday and asked a number of Bahamians whether gambling should be legalized.
The question comes on the heels of comments yesterday by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that he has already consulted several groups on the matter, including the Free National Movement's Central Council and members of his parliamentary team. He further noted that he informed Opposition Leader Perry Christie and Bain and Grants Town Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage that the government is considering the matter.
Many Bahamians expressed mixed views yesterday to The Nassau Guardian on the issue.
"The Bible speaks against gambling and I don't think we should do it," said street vendor Lynn Barr.
The 47-year-old said, "We call our nation a Christian nation, so we [have] to live up to that standard. [We've] got to trust God for all things."
"I applied on behalf of the Olympic Association for the legalization of a lottery for the purpose of helping sports and other social things," said Sir Arlington Butler, immediate past president of the Bahamas Olympic Association.
That application he explained was many years ago.
" There was some concern about the Christian Council, but I canvassed the Christian Council and I didn't find the concern the government was expressing. And they have for years been putting the Christian Council as the bogey man, but I think it was because of a lack of imagination, a lack of concern. I know that some of the churches really believe that there ought not to be gambling. I know the Methodists have been on record as saying so and there are some others."
He added that the former Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of The Bahamas Drexel Gomez was also against gambling.
"When you measure all of the arguments against it and those for it, I believe there is a definite possibility that it should be allowed for the benefit of the Bahamian people," he said.
Sir Arlington said in 1972 the Olympic Association raffled a house for $5 a ticket and the association has never been in the red since.
He said the legislation of gambling is long overdue.
"The unfortunate point is that we encourage it to be illegal. We encourage corruption. We encourage the development of an individual or individuals and not the development of the society. I don't know if any major things went wrong in Florida, because they had [a] lottery."
Symphony Sands, a beauty consultant said, "Honestly whether gambling is legal or illegal it doesn't matter because everyone is doing it anyway. You see police officers talking about numbers, what fall today, what [didn't] fall today, so they might as well make it legal so no one goes to jail for it [because] they're doing it anyway."
Chief of Security for Solomon Mines Carson Hepburn said, "I think gambling should be legalized. If you really look at it right now, as it is today, gambling in this country, the police knows every gambling house in this country. They know everybody is gambling, but they know it is not legal also, but [there's] nothing they can do about it. I don't see why it shouldn't be legal."
Straw market vendor Margaret Curry said, "I think gambling should not be legalized. It's a bad habit and once you fall into that habit it's an endless tunnel where you get into (it) and you never return. You get poor, broke, desperate and your children eat nothing. Gambling is a disease. Gambling is a demonic curse."
Curry compared gambling to a person who has an alcohol addition.
Fifty-one-year-old Larry Austin, another vendor in the straw market, said he also did not think gambling should be legalized.
"I don't think its a good thing. If you look at the Bible... they [gambled] for Jesus' robe and I don't think that was nice. Gambling keeps you in poverty, anybody who gambles ends up in poverty because you lose," said Austin.
He added, "You can never win once you gamble. Gambling is not a good thing because it is addictive."
Jewelry store clerk Nadia Bethel said, "I believe gambling should be legalized if the country is going to allow casinos to be here on the island. If we say we're a Christian nation and we don't want our Bahamians gambling then therefore we should not let any human beings gamble."
She added, "Visitors gamble because we have casinos legalized here in The Bahamas."
April 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
