Glen Clark rolls craps

THE hypocrisies perpe-
trated in the House of
Lies by Messrs. Clark
& Co. take the cake.
Their enthusiasm for
gambling casinos is an
example.

Gambling is a ruinous
vice. A real killer. Yet our
guardians of public safety
who string the streets with
cameras to catch speeders see
nothing wrong with it.

The ‘reason is the prover-
bial root of all evil, of course.
I am reminded of socialists in
countries like Britain and
France who used to prate
about the “merchants of
death.” And who on coming
to power nationalized the
arms industries and sent sales-
men round the world flog-

ig tanks, planes and guns.
ak Soe "sfbad habits are
their own business. As far as J
am concerned they can drink,
smoke, gamble, or eat them-
selves to extinction. But you |
don’t plonk down a bottle or
booze in front of an alco-
holic, which is what casinos
do for the gambler.

Gambling creates money

mailbox

=n

drunks. The poor dopes
always think the next card,
horse, or roll of the dice will
see them get rich and recover
their losses.

The drunk may get rid of
his wages in the pub on pay
day. The addicted gambler
will put his house on the
block. And more.

I recall a prominent busi-
ness man in Calgary in the
‘50s who went to Las Vegas
and lost « million dollars. He
got home without paying bur
was then kidnapped by a casi-
no's “law enforcers.”

They threatened to break
his legs. He was released
when friends in the oil indus-
try raised the money for him.

E. Emmett Tyrrell of the
American Spectator magazine
has described Vegas. He
called it the most horrible
city he had ever been in.

“In the lobby of Cacsar’s
Palace during one brisk five-
minute encounter I saw not
one healthy-looking
American except for a few
sober-faced dealers.

“I saw obesity that
amazed ... a woman on
crutches, a woebegone man
with an oxygen tank. All were
intently feeding their slot
machines or working the
craps tables.

“There was a mother car-
rying a-weck-old baby
through the field of slot
machines. Wheelchairs were
out in force...

“Gambiing, like pornogra-
phy, is a grim business.’No

addict I saw seemed to be

amused or to be taking much

riaemernert

Columnist Collins’
double standards

Dear Editor:

What exactly is Doug
Collins (“Swastikas and dou-
ble standards” — North
Shore News, March 12,
1997) saving? Would Collins
prefer that Clifford Olson, for
example, had never been
incarcerated?

Does he believe thit those
responsible for atrocities in
the recent war in the former
Yugoslavia should not de
brought to trial? Then why
should Nazi war criminals be
allowed to get off scott-free?

Does if not occur to
Collins what it must be like to
be a holocaust survivor find-
ing oneself living next door
to a mass murderer who was
responsible for the annihila-
tion of one’s family?

But, above all, what I feel

is so strange is that Collins
with his well-known concern
as to who may immigrate
here, would seem to have no
objection to mass murderers
immigrating and living here
freely amongst us. Perhaps it
is Collins who has the double
standards.

If so few Nazi criminals
have been convicted and
deported, perhaps this is the
fault of the Canadian courts
who would seem to be delib-
erately dragging their heels in
this matter. At least that is the
opinion of most people
acquainted with this matter.

The acquittal of
Demjanjuk is testimony to
the objectivity and impartiali-
ty of the Israeli courts.
Lionel Kenner
North Vancouver

Advocating organ donations

Dear Editor:

Lucky Mr. Salari (March 9 News) that his prayers were
answered and he has a new liver. | congratulate him on his plan
for a cultural centre which I hope would encourage communi-

t¥ ac tivities.

Tam on my way out to collect for the Kidney Foundation,
whose emphasis is on organ donations. It would be to Mr.
Salari’s credit if he would direct his efforts toward his commu-
nity participation in donating money, time and organs as well as

prayers.
P. Johnson
West Vancouver

pleasure while indulging his
vice.

“IT suppose I can under-
stand the grimness. All are
losing money. Some are
headed toward bankruptcy.
Most have loved ones who
are going to fare badly as a
consequence...”.

Tyrrell pointed out that
casinos are always got up in a
flashy way. I have seen the
same sort of thing on cruise
ships.

“If gambling were a lucra-
tive pastime,” he wrote,
“these tawdry casinos would
not be so lavishly appointed
and so numerous. They stand
as testimonials to their
clients’ delusions.

“Perhaps the gaudiest and
most imbecilic is Caesar's
Palace. It is meant to evoke
thoughts of the Caesar who
conquered Gaul. [ts ornate
columns and cheap statues
would have sickened
Mussolini.”

Here in B.C. the propa-
ganda flows. ‘There will be no
Vegas-style style casinos say
the “socialists.” The young
will not be allowed in and the
Mafia will be kept out. Yes,
all will be well. Trust us!

What a way to reduce the
provincial debt. Clark the
croupier! No doubt clergy-
men will be giving him their

| “SINCE 1969 |

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blessing. There has been talk
abour all the good things that
will flow from this great deal,

Will it lead to more wel-
fare tor those on welfare so
that they can trek to the casi-
nos on welfare days?

On the North
Burrard and Squamish Indian
bands seem to be happy at
the thought of running, casi-
nos. If Chief Philip Joe is
anything to go by, the
Squamish are not squeamish.

“Burrard and Squamish
see cash, employment in
gaming operations,” was the
sad sub-head on the story
that they had applied for a
licence.

What a bad joke.

But we are used to bad
jokes. The NDP are against
free specch, except for their
speech, bur all in favor of the
pornography of gambling.

The great socialists of the
past — J.S. Woodsworth,
M.J. Coldwell, David Lewis
and Tommy Douglas — must
be shaking their heads.

— The North Shore News
believes strongly in freedom of
speech and the right of all sides
in a debate to be heard. The
columnists published in the
News present differing points
of view, bur those views are not
necessarily those of the  newspa-
per itself:

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