no, really!
just don't think its a good idea, actually send your local congressman an email and let them know your opinion! if you are like me, you don't want to spend any time writing a letter, so i have provided the letter i am wring to my local congressman and senator below. at the VERY LEAST, copy my letter and email it your local congressman (found
here ) and then to your local
senator, in case this bill makes it that far.
i am not well versed so i combined some of the ideas i saw in other letters into mine. if somebody would like to edit my letter, or shorten it up please feel free. i want to get my point across on how strongly i feel about this matter.
Dear Congressman xxxxxx-
I live in xxxxx MA, and am a proud member of the xxxx district. Since you represent my voice in Congress, I was hoping you would hear my concerns over a matter that seriously troubles me.
It has come to my attention that Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rick Boucher (D-VA) are attempting to pass a piece of legislation called the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act which would update the U.S. Wire Act to cover the use of the internet to operate a gambling business. It would further allow federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement officials to seek help from Internet service providers to remove or disable access to Internet gambling sites that violate the act. In addition, the bill would boost the maximum prison term for a violation of the Wire Act to five years from two years.
I would like to point out that the original intent of the U.S. wire act was to stop and allow prosecution of “bookies” running numbers operations, operations that were generally run by underground crime families and rings. We have moved into a new era however, where gambling is not only more respectable by societal standards, it is actually encouraged by our state. In our state we have keno, scratch tickets, and a lottery system. These all are state sponsored and the state benefits from every wager made on these games.
It seems the recent explosion in the popularity in poker is the reason this bill is being brought before congress. Online poker is extremely popular in the United States as evidenced by reported revenues from Party Gaming (publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange), which cited revenues in excess of $600 million in 2004. They further estimated that 88% of that revenue came from U.S. customers. Obviously this company is providing a service wanted by U.S. citizens. It seems hypocritical for these two representatives to be pushing a bill to make gambling on the internet a crime, when Virginia has a state lottery being run in their own districts.
As one of your constituents, I can gamble in a bar, convenience store, restaurant, grocery store, and drive 2 hours to an Indian casino. Why should I not be able to gamble in the comfort of my own home over the internet?
Is this a matter of protecting citizens from the so called dangers of gambling? Or is it simply a matter of keeping American dollars in America? It certainly seems like the latter, which leads me to the next question. Why not have these online gaming companies based in America? That creates a lot of revenue for the American government and also allows the U.S. to offer protection to the consumer of these products. I think it is time we stopped living in the 18th century and started becoming proactive in creating revenue for our government so we can better respond to disasters such as hurricane Katrina and the ongoing health care issues. I understand creating laws that would allow these companies to operate in the U.S. would take time, but I don’t think stripping Americans of their right to enjoy entertainment in the privacy of their own homes is a wise step. Is not one of the major functions of government to protect the rights of its citizens? This bill seems like an extreme step in the opposite direction.
Among my friends, family, and business associates, my view is not in the minority. I will be watching your vote on this matter closely as it will greatly influence our future votes in the xxxth district. Please speak for the majority of the citizens in your district and vote against this bill.
AT THE VERY LEAST COPY WHAT I HAVE TYPED AND EMAIL IT! I encourage you to do more than that and post your thoughts on as many websites as possible! Let your family and friends know how you feel and ask them if they feel the same way! encourage them to voice their opinions!
PLEASE! don't just talk a good game, walk it!