“Liberty has never come from the Government”
Woodrow Wilson
The Video Gambling showdown being held at New Hampshire’s legislative corral is yet another example of unnecessary governmental intrusion into decisions which should be left in the unfettered domain of individual citizens.
Drawing its line in the sands of this emotional issue are those social do-gooders who subscribe to the philosophy some individuals are incapable of making “intelligent” decisions. Thus, it is incumbent upon the government to protect these people from the consequences of their own follies and outlaw activities for which it might unwise for some segments of the public to engage.
The hypocrisy of these stalwarts of regulating private morality is blatantly obvious when it comes to enforcing similar standards on churches and the scores of private organizations which collectively sponsor a near nonstop series of bingo, beano, Las Vegas and similar gambling events. Their silence is also deafening on the burgeoning number of state and regional lotteries as well as betting at licensed dog and horse tracks … perhaps because the “take” from these activities help fund any number of their pet programs, as well as augmenting local educational budgets.
Inferences the profits individual enterprises might realize from owning video gambling equipment demonstrates a gross misunderstanding of the role of the private sector in a democratic society. Besides, profitable companies often create jobs and pay taxes.
Across the philosophical aisle stand the apparent champions of those people for whom the opportunity to gamble is perceived a God-given right. Ah, but wait, there’s a catch. Under proposed legislation, only bars and other establishments licensed to sell beer and wine could have (up to five) video poker machines. That is unless the racing
lobby has its way … giving them a video poker monopoly and the right to an unlimited number of such devices.
Whatever the final form the proposed legislation takes, it’s clear the lofty goal of reducing governmental interference is not being considered. Rather, it’s “a piece of the anticipated action” as a palatable alternative to increasing taxes or downsizing the size and cost of state government which is driving their agenda.
Poll individual members of New Hampshire’s legislature and you’ll find they unanimously display “Live Free or Die” on their license plates, coming and going. Pressed further, most will confess a personal belief the state’s citizens live in a free society, where limits should only be imposed when individual actions infringe on the rights of others.
Unfortunately, when gathered under the golden dome, they quickly loose sight of such noble ideals. Suddenly, preventing people from making foolish or even self-destructive decisions and devising new and creatively ways to painlessly extract more and more money from the public become the operative ends. Forgotten is President Wilson’s admonition, “The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.”
Misunderstood is the concept that in a free society each individual has the inalienable right to make individual choices, free of governmental interference … but then be prepared to accept and live with the consequences of his/her actions.
The governor and state legislature should immediately abandon all efforts to regulate video poker and concurrently deregulate all forms of wagering. They should permit individuals who choose to bet on numbers, cards, horses, dogs, or even the point spreads for sporting events (which now appear in increasing detail in every daily newspaper across the state) and to do so without fear of criminal arrest.
Rather than continuing to restrict the liberties of its citizens, New Hampshire’s government must reassert faith in its people, realizing most of them simply want to be left alone. It must gamble they will generally make reasonable and responsible decisions without trespassing on the rights of their neighbors and, unlike government, be prepared to live with the consequences of their actions.
