A Vancouver Sun columnist has written yet another dumb-ass editorial, but for once, the byline does not read ‘David Baines’. While the editorial’s venom was directed at provincial governments in Canada over their supposed embrace of ‘drinking, gambling and whoring’, we here at CalvinAyre.com take this swipe somewhat personally, as that particular troika of pleasures is essentially this site’s official motto.
You, sir, have crossed a line.
The gist of the writer’s argument is that a government shouldn’t be in the business of selling ‘sin’ to its citizens, especially when not all of them can be relied on to indulge in said sins in a responsible fashion. Indeed, the writer claims that gambling is “fragmenting us as a culture, and threatening us as a species.” Paradoxically, he also notes that gambling has been with us since Biblical times. Pardon us, but if gambling is threatening our species’ existence, it’s taking its sweet fucking time, isn’t it?
The truth of the matter is, the provincial governments of Canada are getting involved in gambling because it’s already happening with or without their involvement, so they figure they might as well take their slice of the pie. And contrary to the writer’s claims that the United States ‘quarantined’ gambling in the deserts of Nevada, there is gambling in virtually every state of the Union, and it is so because their citizens want it that way.
The writer uses another quote in his article, supposedly to bolster his own claims, which states that “neurosis is a private religion.” We say let this idjit continue to worship at his own private anti-gambling altar, and leave the rest of us to our gamblin’, drinkin’ and carry’ on. Read more.
