I would like to address my misgivings with the purposed referendum on gambling. First I don't for one minute subscribe to the notion that gambling is wrong from a religious standpoint. While I do appreciate that one must be a good steward of his money, as a student of the Bible myself I have never seen a scripture that condemns the practice outright.
Perhaps I am wrong on this one. If I am, please correct me. I am open and would love for the religious community now carrying the anti-gambling banner to point out book, chapter and verse. Having said that, I will say this: You cannot legislate morality. So all the laws in the world will never change a man's mindset. The last time I checked the Commonwealth of The Bahamas was a free, democratic and sovereign nation. Adult citizens should and must be allowed to carry on their lives as they deem fit, as long as their actions are legal and don't infringe on another's human rights. Life is full of choices and each individual must chose what is right for him.
Gambling is now, and has been for a long time, a present social decay for those not able to handle its entangling web. With this in mind, I employ our government to require monies from the greatest benefactors of this industry to invest in some sort of counseling, or gambling anonymous if you will.
This group should not be associated with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution.
There are compulsive gamblers in this country who now struggle with the bug of Lady Luck and desperately want to stop. People are hurting now, and will continue to hurt whether this bill passes or not. These monies of course would be beyond taxes on revenue earned by the industry.
British American Tobacco and Philip Morris - two of the largest makers of tobacco products - invest millions of dollars a year to help those wanting to quit smoking do so. Theirs would be the horrid television ads you see, encouraging people not to begin smoking or to stop smoking. Now, one would argue that the investment seems a bit hypocritical; and while this may be true, I say shouldn't the major contributor to the mess be also made to help with its clean up?
I have no doubt that this bill will pass and I am just as confident that the problem for its passing on our society will increase all the more. Just as with drinking, smoking and other legal vices, gambling should be approached with caution. Just yesterday I saw a local commercial that spoke about all the good things the number houses do for the community. The commercial painted a picture so perfect, I knew soon I would see unicorns, butterflies and lollypops floating across the screen. What this commercial didn't show, however, is the family left lacking because one or both parents carelessly spent their entire earnings on a "chance". It didn't show the people who sit in the web shops spinning for hours while neglecting the commitments made to God, family, job and community. It didn't show the people who were targets of criminals aware of their recent windfall. No, this picture was perfectly framed. I was almost prepared to line up to the polls right then with my X in the yes box. Now, I don't want to seem anti- or pro-gambling. I am indifferent to the entire issue. What I am is pro-community, pro-family, pro-Bahamian. What I am is pro-survival.
Beyond anything, we must be honest about the issue and to ourselves be true. Let us require of the number houses some of that money earned to clean up the ugly where it exists.

- Arame Ford-Strachan

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