Dear Editor,
It seems that the President would enact the law of casino gambling even though all the religious bodies have signaled the woes that will follow this act. He with his cabinet still pursue this dangerous quest to destroy not only the moral side of our society but he ventures to disfigure our image and the hospitality of our people.
As was reported, casino gambling would be in place in time for Cricket World Cup and only the visitors would firstly use this facility, then the local nationals would have the ‘benefit’ of it. It was understood that the reason why the visitors alone would be allowed into the casinos was that they would be ‘rich’. Hence it seems casino gambling law must hastily be enacted in time to facilitate the gamble during the tournament which is soon and therefore passing it legally it would not appear as robbery.
Casino gambling is known to be a vice and sadly our country is overshadowed by unsolved crimes, although the President brought in the most sophisticated weapons to stop criminal activities. How can he at this late stage protect visitors who are ‘rich’ and are coming to Cricket World Cup?!
It is also said that casino gambling would boost tourism. This is another way of pulling wool over Guyanese eyes since we now know that this activity is to enable hotel owners to recover their expenditure. The President knows that Guyana does not need casinos to boost its tourism, for we have natural beauty which cannot be adorned, ‘you can’t gild the lily’, we have human and natural resources that need to be tapped.
One wonders if the President is coerced to use his power, or perhaps the Government is proud that they can do anything as they have the majority. Proverbs 16:5 says: ‘Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.’ Incidentally, the late President Cheddi Jagan was against gambling.
Yours faithfully,
S. Singh
