It is now almost mandatory that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham holds a referendum on whether the numbers game should be legalized in The Bahamas if his government is indeed considering doing so, as he suggested in the House of Assembly last week. Since he made that announcement, a fierce debate has erupted over this issue, as the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) has made it unequivocally clear that it intends to do all within its power to block such a move.
In marshalling its forces for an all-out fight against legalizing the numbers game, the BCC's main argument is that it is not something that should be allowed in a Christian nation. They, of course, are totally disregarding the fact that big-time casino gambling has existed in this country since 1964 when the Monte Carlo Casino opened its doors in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Since then, two major casinos in New Providence have played an important role in assuring that The Bahamas retained its reputation as one of the world's premier vacation destinations.
Moreover, a casino licence was the prime bait used by the former Progressive Liveral Party government to lure investors to Family Islands in its efforts to establish a major anchor project in as many family islands as possible. A casino now exists in Exuma, one will soon open in Bimini, and whenever it is completed, the Ginn project in West End, Grand Bahama, will include an upscale casino.
So it is not a matter of whether gambling is legal in The Bahamas; that's a fact. What is at issue here is that the BCC and its supporters do not believe that Bahamians should enjoy the same privileges in their own country that millions of tourists do. Surely, it is the epitome of hypocrisy to hold Bahamians to a different standard than tourists. If it is wrong for Bahamians to gamble based on some religious tenet, then shouldn't this also be true for visitors to this country? Shouldn't those who have been called by God to do his work on earth be just as concerned about the souls of tourists as they are about the souls of Bahamians?
What's more, one question that begs an answer is this: Is The Bahamas more of a Christian nation than Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, which all have legal lotteries? And what about the United States, where the lottery is legal in 48 states, and which has proudly printed on its money the declaration, "In God We Trust?" Is this the same God that we in The Bahamas put our faith and trust in; that is, those of us who are indeed true Christians and not just persons who go to church religiously on Sundays but do not live Christian lives the other six days of the week?
These are all matters that the leaders of BCC should seriously ponder as they piously don their religious robes and other trappings of their profession to try and "prove" that they are imbued with authority from God to be the moral arbiters of this so-called Christian nation. While they are doing so, they should also think about all the good things that the proceeds from a legal lottery can do to address some of the social ills in this country, as well as provide funding for sports activities to help build strong bodies and sound minds and redirect the lives of many of our youth-at-risk. Surely, this would help to make The Bahamas a better "Christian nation."
Let the people decide, Mr. Prime Minister. Put the matter to a vote via a referendum. |
