"I've stated, as have tribal representatives, that Indian's didn't ask for gambling to be legal on reservations. It is simply the most lucrative business they can operate in certain locations." - Hal Brown

This is obvious, but someone asked for it, go it and for obvious reasons.  M-O-N-E-Y.  Some and many still do take it.  Some certainly won't do it out of something rare in society called dignity and integrity. The Massachuset tribe won't as they had stated back in March.  If I were of Indian descent, I would be insulted to be told that my only lucrative option was a gambling operation.  "Certain locations?"  Like where?  Everywhere?  It does not take a genius to have a lucrative business.  Common sense and hard work do just fine, not some hand out from Uncle Sam.  The former Dave Thomas with no high school education formed Wendy's.  Bill Gates, Harvard drop out, Microsoft Corp.  What has kept the red man down I believe is the following.

“The U.S. Constitution provides the greatest opportunity in the world for groups of people to preserve their cultures, religions and identities, through its protections of speech, assembly, press, and religion. Ironically, the only place Indian people are not guaranteed these rights is on an Indian reservation. By denying Indian citizens basic civil rights, tribal governments’ claims to sovereign immunity have done more to destroy tribal culture than to preserve it… It is time to end the Noble Savage Mentality that keeps tribes in the ambiguous, inconsistent and untenable position of being simultaneously wards of the federal government, domestic dependent nations, and supposedly sovereign nations. Indian people, whether tribal members or not, should be recognized as full U.S. citizens with all the rights, responsibilities and protections therefore, nothing more and nothing less.” - William Lawrence, a member of the Red Lake Band, and the publisher of the Ojibwe News , Minnesota’s independent voice in Indian Country, identified the problem succinctly in his article, “In Defense of Indian Rights”

Immigrants have come to this land and been very successful.  There is no reason for "natives" with the same constitutional guarrantees to accomplish the same.  What Mr. Lawrence mentions is obviously noted of the Mashpee tribe.  Question the tribal finances and get shunned with no voting rights or entrance to your own pow-wow ceremonies.  See if your town takes your right to vote away from you for questioning the town's finances and you have a nice lawsuit. You would win, hands down in one trial.  Forget about it if you're Amelia Bingham, Mashpee Wampanoag elder.

Next, the outrageous:

"Gambling addiction is bad, but so is being unemployed or under-employed." HB

I am amazed at the poor comparison skills.  An addiction is just a bad a misfortune (or deliberate laziness) of life?  Anyone who can work, does or will eventually.  There is no chronic unemployment in this state, except for mostly the lazy or the Paris Hiltons of the world.  Please, no need to explain further, but I will. 

"A casino in our town will bring many new employment opportunities and will provide much needed funds for town services." HB

Casino gambling will do nothing to improve anyone's standard of living of any significance, with the exception of the top investors and management.  The industry is pure entertainment and service related that preys on the poor and addicted.  No product is produced to benefit individuals or society.  Not all entertainment is bad, mind you.  Fun is important in life.  I should remind you of your visit to Foxwoods.  Not to many happy folks at the slots, were there.  Tourism can be good, but never as a stand alone.  The Caribbean is a perfect example.  The number one industry on the islands is tourism.  Everything looks beautiful until you leave the resorts.  The inhabitants are impoverished.  I have friends in Jamaica now.  Not to bask on the beaches, but to serve at the orphanages.  There is no trickle down at the bottom of the economic later.

"Having a gambling addict in your family is bad, but so is sending your children to a school where the student to teacher ratio keeps increasing and your children don't get the education they deserve." HB

Addiction is bad and so are children not getting the education the teacher's unions want?  Please again.  There are students outside the public school system that get a better education on less money & resources.  Bad education is a product of a bad system, not student teacher ratios or funding.  Question: Why does Japan, that has in many cases as many as 50 students per teacher, achieve better tests scores that US students?  No amount of money can fix a system that is broken from the top down.  Do I have to remind you of "Slots for Tots"?  Instead of a hand out from state government for more cash from casino taxes, how about competition in the education system?

Lastly:

"Indian casinos in New England bring a large working force of workers of different nationalities into nearby communities and make them more diverse." HB

We already have a wide range of diversity in the state and bringing an Indian casino would not make it somehow more diverse.  It could only migrate some of the nationalities to concentrate around the casino.  The idea of any objections to an influx of minorities or foreigners to communities is not a racial one, but purely fiscal.  Sudden influx of any high municipal service needy group is a strain on any town's finances.  One that cannot be remedied quickly, especially with no matching revenues to mitigate.  Even with mitigation it can take years to build more schools, adequate roadways and hire city workers.  There is a such thing as smart growth and it does work.

There is no need to have a conversation about race in this country.  Only a continual action of showing the people the content of one's character is important.  There will always be racists in society no matter what we do and there will also be murderers, thieves, addicts, jerks and idiots.  Let's not make any more of them.

Comments:

Gladys said...

Brilliant, Carl.  Well said.

 

 

 

 

As reported at PalmBeachPost.com Florida Governor Charlie Crist has NO AUTHORTY to negotiate any compact with the Seminole Tribe, or any one else for that matter, for class III type gambling that is not all ready authorized in the state.  The ruling was a unanimous decision.  Only the FL state legislature can do that.  This is of major significance to us here in the Commonwealth.  Back a month ago it was badly reported that our beloved Governor Patrick was in negotiations with the Mashpee Tribe to put a world class casino in Middleborough.  Both the tribe's spokesperson and casino pusher Scott Ferson and the governor's office had to back pedal from what was reported once the facts of the case came out.  It all stunk to high heaven of inevitablity scare tactics.  It didn't work.  Just like in FL, any form of class III gambling has to be approved by our legislature.  The governor has NO AUTHORITY to go into a compact with the tribe.  Given the legislature's reluctance to touch casinos or slot machines with a ten foot poll, all the tribe has, if they are lucky, is a Bingo Hall.  The only pols that would be willing to touch it will never reach ten feet tall, because casino Kool-Aid or slot syndrome I hear stunts your growth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen wrote:

Great commentary!

Here is another analogy for you.  Our pro-casino lemmings can also look to the "Tae Kwon Dodos" from the movie Ice Age as role modes… the intelligence level is the same.

http://www.truveo.com/Ice-Age-Attack-of-the-Dodos/id/3020244116

Enjoy

 

 

 

 

“The creator is smiling today.” - Chief Alden Windsong Blake, tribal head of the Assonet Band of Indians