IMPORTANT: Please sign the Anti-UIGEA petition!!!

[TheEngineer]

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1) I'm not enouraging anyone not to participate. Just stating why I'm not and that I'd actually like to. I'm simply disappointed in the choice of petition sites...

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Fair enough. I wasn't trying to be a [censored]. Rather, after seeing a couple of posts against the petition, I wanted to post a counterpoint so as not to discourage others from signing.

I agree that they could have chosen a better site. Unfortunately, that part of it's done and we can either assist or not, so I hope everyone here (yes, including you) will participate. After all, the effort itself is really worth doing. FoF wouldn't have made a big deal about this if it weren't.

If you don't wish to use the petition site, I imagine you could email CGW with your petition, at info@casinogamblingweb.com. Include the following:

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Repeal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
Target:Barney Frank, Congressman, U.S. Congress
Created by:Concerned Citizen

Dear Members of Congress, As an American, I am outraged to learn that Congress has passed legislation that will severely restrict my ability to have certain freedoms in my own home.Unfair passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is clearly designed to restrict the freedoms of voters who sent you to office to represent them, and prevent us from making mature decisions about how we spend our leisure time and money.I am further outraged to learn that the bill was added at a late hour to the Safe Port Security Bill without the ability of debate and only 15 minutes prior to a vote on a must pass bill.It is improper for Congress to declare itself the overseer of American Morals and to enact legislation that dictates ideology instead of common sense.The United States, in so enacting this law, has willfully violated World Trade Organization rules and the WTO has ruled against the United States on this issue, in favor of the country of Antigua. Now the European Union is considering similar action as this is seen globally as protectionism.I urge you to use your considerable power and influence to ensure that this unfair legislation is repealed post haste, and our right to freedom is preserved.I understand and agree that by signing this petition, I am in favor of the repeal of the UIGEA

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Thanks for keeping up the fight by writing and calling.

[TheEngineer]

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if we were able to form a 527....

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It will be sweet if we can get enough support to make that happen! The steps we're all taking now are the ones that will build our movement such that we can make that happen, so please participate on our actions everyone. See Fight for Online Gaming!! -- Weekly action thread. Thanks.

[wheelflush]

i signed it on independence day. so ironic i could cry.

[davidlong14]

done

[Stake Monster]

signed

[Stake Monster]

" They have collected nearly 5,000 American signatures on their Repeal the Internet Gambling Ban petition, a relatively small number of citizens when compared to an estimated 15 million or more people afflicted with a problem or pathological gambling addictions in the U.S. Nonetheless, this is America and we all have the freedom to speak out."

That is so funny. So let's make it hard for people to enjoy a game they enjoy because some of them can't hold themselves back. So in theory they should also make alcohol/cigarettes/casinos/porn/etc/etc illegal.

And how ironic they mention the "freedom to speak", but they disregard the other freedoms.

[TheEngineer]

Yeah...these guys just don't like gambling, so they made up excuses to justify their position.

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They have collected nearly 6,000 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] American signatures...

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Hopefully we'll get them to 6,000 today or tomorrow.

Good job everyone. If you've not signed yet, please do so. It takes five seconds.

[grdred944]

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It's too bad they chose such a poor online petition site for this. I would gladly sign but have no desire to give up the level of privacy and information they require. There are plenty of online petition sites that let you sign a petition without having to sacrifice your privacy to do so.

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Feel free to not participate. Not sure I'd have used my 17th post here to discourage others from participating, but that's certainly your right as well.

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The problem with petitions like these is that they make a significant number of people feel as if they have done their part to fight the good fight when the reality is that for issues such as this, online petitions are worthless.

As bad a job as the PPA has done, they are really the only player representative group around that could possibly be heard.

I know firsthand how Congress deals with constituent communications. This is not the way to get it done and is actually a detriment to the cause.

I respect the OP for wanting to do well (although I think the comment about that being the guy's 17th post is patronizing and simply dumb) but the reality is that this action is counterproductive.

[grdred944]

This just reads like a form letter. Again, read my earlier post -- counterproductive.


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Dear Members of Congress,

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NEVER send a generic message to the entire Congress. You send to your representative or to each representative on a specific committee.

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As an American,I am outraged to learn that Congress has passed legislation that will severely restrict my ability to have certain freedoms in my own home.

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Who wrote this? A 12 year old?

"...severely restrict my ability to have certain freedoms in my own home." My God, that is just awful.

NEVER start off any letter indicating your outrage. Yes, you do want to get to the point but if you start off any written (or verbal) conversation indicating how pissed you are, the receiver will tune out.

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Unfair passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is clearly designed to restrict the freedoms of voters who sent you to office to represent them, and prevent us from making mature decisions about how we spend our leisure time and money.

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At what point are you going to explain how and not just toss out a generalization that your "freedoms" have been taken away?

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I am further outraged to learn that the bill was added at a late hour to the Safe Port Security Bill without the ability of debate and only 15 minutes prior to a vote on a must pass bill.It is improper for Congress to declare itself the overseer of American Morals and to enact legislation that dictates ideology instead of common sense.

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OK, you are getting closer but you are now telling Congress that you, outraged American, are shifting your anger because of a parlimentary procedure used. Then you blame Congress for imposing morality yet your defense for wanting the act repealled is 'common sense.'

Whether you wrote this or not I cannot believe that a reputable group would encourage people to send this crap to the entire Congress.

[TheEngineer]

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This just reads like a form letter. Again, read my earlier post -- counterproductive.....

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The letter is the text of the online petition. I had nothing to do with writing or initiating it. If I did this, it would be better written. You can see examples of my letters at my advocacy thread on the Legislation forum.

I got involved when I saw CGW would be hand-delivering this to Washington. That's where its value comes from. If it weren't for this, it would have as much (i.e., as little) value as any other online petition. Another thing is that Focus on the Familiy is warning about this. So, someone is telling them that this has some value for us. It takes two seconds, so why not sign it?