Cedric Moss
08-21-03, - 05:25 AM
http://www.bahamasissues.com/images/ads/kingdom_view_small.jpg
The National Lottery Song – Part 1
By Apostle Cedric Moss
August 21, 2003
There is a choir being assembled to sing a song we have heard before. They’re singing the national lotto song. Actually, a few lead vocalists in parliament have already started public rehearsals. I expect that others will be joining the choir over the coming months and singing the national lottery song with urgency. So today I begin part one of my two part commentary on this subject to share parts of the song they will not sing.
Dishonest Singing
As we listen to the national lotto song, it is very obvious that many verses are not being sung. The lead vocalists know these verses, but they prefer to ignore them and sing those few verses that seem noble. Yes, they sound like a scorched record singing the noble verses about how a national lottery will make available millions of dollars for funding sports and education. And yes, according to the national lotto song, the illegal numbers houses will be shut down.
But they refuse to sing the verses about how the poor, not the rich, will be the ones who suffer daily as they are seduced to spend their precious last few dollars on the lotto. And they definitely refuse to sing about the insurmountable odds against winning. Since they only sing selective verses of the national lotto song it’s dishonest singing.
No Political Will
While the choir continues to sing that the illegal numbers racket is a problem, a closer look at the situation will reveal the real problem. The real problem is that this government (like the previous governments) lacks the political will to deal with the illegal numbers racket. According to statements made in the press, the government evidently knows the number of the illegal numbers houses operating in Nassau and Freeport so they must know where they are located. Additionally, since police officers are also normal citizens of our country, they know where the illegal numbers houses are located. Why then are these illegal operations still open?
Faulty Arguments
One of the arguments being sung by the national lotto choir is that many people are patronizing illegal numbers houses. While this is no doubt true, nationalizing gambling is not the solution. If we follow this faulty argument, then the government should nationalize the sales of illegal drugs and put pushers out of business and monopolize prostitution and put pimps out of business. Clearly none of these make sense.
If the government is serious about dealing with the illegal numbers racket one thing they should do is to amend the laws to significantly increase the fines and prison terms of those who engage in it. The fines and prison terms attached to crimes reveal the degree to which the legislators see certain activities as being wrong. So if we are serious about getting rid of illegal numbers houses, it can be done.
Socio-Economic Fallout
Instead of listening to the national lotto choir, the government would be wise to study the lottery experiences of other countries in our region, especially the United States where lotteries have been in existence for quite some time. Without a doubt, the introduction of a national lottery will also bring added social fallout and suffering to the already poor. People being people will chance some or all of the money earmarked for important expenses like food, clothing and shelter on lottery tickets because they had a dream, it is their birthday or they just feel lucky. And in the Bahamas our social fabric is already hanging by a thread. Can it stand the pull of an easy to play national lottery that will fuel greed, materialism, and a get rich quick without working hard mentality? The reality is it can’t.
Bad to Worse
I have heard it said that we as Bahamians love to gamble. If this is true, a legalized lottery will have devastating socio-economic effects on our nation. In light of this, here is a question to consider: “Which one will do more socio-economic harm, the illegal numbers houses as they now operate or a national lottery?” Clearly a national lottery will do much more harm than the illegal numbers houses. Comparing the illegal numbers houses to a national lottery is like comparing a child’s piggy bank to the Royal Bank! There is no comparison! Things will go from bad to worse. Therefore, those in authority must consider this part of the equation as well.
Beyond Morality
There are very important national questions to ask other than those that deal with the morality of gambling. Therefore, we ought not to be asking, “What’s wrong with gambling?” Instead, we should be asking, “What’s right with gambling?” I am waiting for the national lotto choir to add the answer to this last question to their song. But they won’t because the one word answer is “Nothing,” and it is too short to sing and does not help their cause.
So to those who have fought the Church’s moral arguments, please tell us: “What is right with gambling and a national lottery in particular?”
Click Here for Part 2 (http://www.bahamasissues.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377)
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.
The National Lottery Song – Part 1
By Apostle Cedric Moss
August 21, 2003
There is a choir being assembled to sing a song we have heard before. They’re singing the national lotto song. Actually, a few lead vocalists in parliament have already started public rehearsals. I expect that others will be joining the choir over the coming months and singing the national lottery song with urgency. So today I begin part one of my two part commentary on this subject to share parts of the song they will not sing.
Dishonest Singing
As we listen to the national lotto song, it is very obvious that many verses are not being sung. The lead vocalists know these verses, but they prefer to ignore them and sing those few verses that seem noble. Yes, they sound like a scorched record singing the noble verses about how a national lottery will make available millions of dollars for funding sports and education. And yes, according to the national lotto song, the illegal numbers houses will be shut down.
But they refuse to sing the verses about how the poor, not the rich, will be the ones who suffer daily as they are seduced to spend their precious last few dollars on the lotto. And they definitely refuse to sing about the insurmountable odds against winning. Since they only sing selective verses of the national lotto song it’s dishonest singing.
No Political Will
While the choir continues to sing that the illegal numbers racket is a problem, a closer look at the situation will reveal the real problem. The real problem is that this government (like the previous governments) lacks the political will to deal with the illegal numbers racket. According to statements made in the press, the government evidently knows the number of the illegal numbers houses operating in Nassau and Freeport so they must know where they are located. Additionally, since police officers are also normal citizens of our country, they know where the illegal numbers houses are located. Why then are these illegal operations still open?
Faulty Arguments
One of the arguments being sung by the national lotto choir is that many people are patronizing illegal numbers houses. While this is no doubt true, nationalizing gambling is not the solution. If we follow this faulty argument, then the government should nationalize the sales of illegal drugs and put pushers out of business and monopolize prostitution and put pimps out of business. Clearly none of these make sense.
If the government is serious about dealing with the illegal numbers racket one thing they should do is to amend the laws to significantly increase the fines and prison terms of those who engage in it. The fines and prison terms attached to crimes reveal the degree to which the legislators see certain activities as being wrong. So if we are serious about getting rid of illegal numbers houses, it can be done.
Socio-Economic Fallout
Instead of listening to the national lotto choir, the government would be wise to study the lottery experiences of other countries in our region, especially the United States where lotteries have been in existence for quite some time. Without a doubt, the introduction of a national lottery will also bring added social fallout and suffering to the already poor. People being people will chance some or all of the money earmarked for important expenses like food, clothing and shelter on lottery tickets because they had a dream, it is their birthday or they just feel lucky. And in the Bahamas our social fabric is already hanging by a thread. Can it stand the pull of an easy to play national lottery that will fuel greed, materialism, and a get rich quick without working hard mentality? The reality is it can’t.
Bad to Worse
I have heard it said that we as Bahamians love to gamble. If this is true, a legalized lottery will have devastating socio-economic effects on our nation. In light of this, here is a question to consider: “Which one will do more socio-economic harm, the illegal numbers houses as they now operate or a national lottery?” Clearly a national lottery will do much more harm than the illegal numbers houses. Comparing the illegal numbers houses to a national lottery is like comparing a child’s piggy bank to the Royal Bank! There is no comparison! Things will go from bad to worse. Therefore, those in authority must consider this part of the equation as well.
Beyond Morality
There are very important national questions to ask other than those that deal with the morality of gambling. Therefore, we ought not to be asking, “What’s wrong with gambling?” Instead, we should be asking, “What’s right with gambling?” I am waiting for the national lotto choir to add the answer to this last question to their song. But they won’t because the one word answer is “Nothing,” and it is too short to sing and does not help their cause.
So to those who have fought the Church’s moral arguments, please tell us: “What is right with gambling and a national lottery in particular?”
Click Here for Part 2 (http://www.bahamasissues.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377)
Apostle Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.