It's a big day in and around Baltimore. Today they run the Preakness. The local news stations are in full on hype mode. The excitement is at a fever pitch. Today a ton of money will flow into the coffers at the race track. The sport of kings. At Pimlico race track the ladies are wearing their bonnets, it is a tradition there.There are bands, food and drink, beginning at 9:00 am. Yes, it is a full day of gambling!
I expect folks raced their horses as soon as they had two of them. I also expect people bet on them. The horse racing industry has been around a very long time. It has been legal to bet on the horses since the beginning. The wealthy folks always get their way. It's nothing new but I do find it a bit amazing that a full day of gambling is being celebrated. " I'm going to the track " is not generally thought of in a positive light. But today, it's something folks are fighting each other to do. In fact, it carries some prestige on this day. I'll be attending the Preakness. We'll be overlooking the seedier side of the business on this day.
Next year in Florida greyhound racing will be banned. The voters decided that it is cruel to those dogs. There were abuses, no doubt, justified by business concerns. What to do with an old race dog or one that just doesn't win me money. Do you think horse racing will ever be banned? I can't see it happening simply because too much money is involved. But, I can see the same argument being used to ban it as was used to ban dog racing. After all, is a horse superior to a dog? Does one animal deserve more respect than another? Of course I have no vested interest in either and can make a judgement totally unbiased. Those horses are bred to run. But is right to do that? I mean selective breeding, what about the right of the horse to choose its' own mate. The Nazis advocated for selective breeding with human beings, to create a master race. Those rich folks have done that with horses, to a degree, perhaps we should react to that with the same disgust as we did the Nazis! Or, are they only animals? It does seem a bit hypocritical doesn't it.
I remember when the Catholic churches started the whole Bingo thing. Well, them and the volunteer fire companies. It was gambling, no doubt about it, but harmless enough and for a good cause. It was either for God, or the community at large, depending. That was followed by the Indians building Casinos. Seemed only fair to allow them to build a Casino on their land, take the white mans wampum. They started with Bingo and worked their way up. Now, we have chartered trips to all these venues, aimed, to a great extent, at the elderly and those in the inner cities. I'd suggest they are targeting those that can least afford to gamble, but it's a harmless diversion right? Another questionable activity in my opinion. But, it's legal. If there is revenue to be had, we will get around to legalizing that activity sooner or later. The thinking being, people will do it anyway, it's safer to do it in the open. Yes, I can understand the logic behind that, all it takes is a surrender. If you once decide that man is not capable of controlling themselves, of conducting themselves within the confines of society, that would be the only option available.
I don't know. I guess if people want to gamble, let them gamble. It can lead to all kinds of trouble but that's their problem. Currently the narrative is; allow others to do whatever they want to do and you had best embrace that! We are not supposed to even suggest that there may be a problem with their choices. Nothing is more stark to me than the decision that killing babies is a choice. Abortion solely for the sake of, I don't want a baby. But I'm not going to rant further about that. I'm just saying we started with Bingo and look what we have today. Gambling is main stream, fully endorsed and indeed promoted by government. Let yourself Play is the byword of the day.
None of this is meant to say you shouldn't gamble. I've been known to place a bet or two myself. I'm not saying they shouldn't race the horses. I'm just looking at the progression of time and general sensibilities. Seems to me the American Dream was a bit more idealist in years past. The bar was set quite high. God Bless America! Our soldiers returning from WW2 were asked what they fought for. They answered, for Mom and Apple pie. That gave rise to the familiar saying, " As American as Motherhood and Apple pie. " I'm thinking that we have forgotten the American dream. I'm thinking we are surrendering that dream, giving up on it, with the excuse, man will do it anyway. And as a result I find myself feeling like a modern day Don Quixote, tilting at windmills. I just can't let go of the dream. We can do it! You can do it! It's just that sometimes you have to say no! No to others, and No to yourself.
Do dreams come true? Yes they do, but they come true far more often through hard work and perseverance than by happenstance. Additionally if we are to remove God from our country, as many advocate today, just who will make that dream come true? What do we have if not a prayer? I can only say God Bless America, Motherhood and Apple pie! And I don't mean gluten free apple pie either!
I expect folks raced their horses as soon as they had two of them. I also expect people bet on them. The horse racing industry has been around a very long time. It has been legal to bet on the horses since the beginning. The wealthy folks always get their way. It's nothing new but I do find it a bit amazing that a full day of gambling is being celebrated. " I'm going to the track " is not generally thought of in a positive light. But today, it's something folks are fighting each other to do. In fact, it carries some prestige on this day. I'll be attending the Preakness. We'll be overlooking the seedier side of the business on this day.
Next year in Florida greyhound racing will be banned. The voters decided that it is cruel to those dogs. There were abuses, no doubt, justified by business concerns. What to do with an old race dog or one that just doesn't win me money. Do you think horse racing will ever be banned? I can't see it happening simply because too much money is involved. But, I can see the same argument being used to ban it as was used to ban dog racing. After all, is a horse superior to a dog? Does one animal deserve more respect than another? Of course I have no vested interest in either and can make a judgement totally unbiased. Those horses are bred to run. But is right to do that? I mean selective breeding, what about the right of the horse to choose its' own mate. The Nazis advocated for selective breeding with human beings, to create a master race. Those rich folks have done that with horses, to a degree, perhaps we should react to that with the same disgust as we did the Nazis! Or, are they only animals? It does seem a bit hypocritical doesn't it.
I remember when the Catholic churches started the whole Bingo thing. Well, them and the volunteer fire companies. It was gambling, no doubt about it, but harmless enough and for a good cause. It was either for God, or the community at large, depending. That was followed by the Indians building Casinos. Seemed only fair to allow them to build a Casino on their land, take the white mans wampum. They started with Bingo and worked their way up. Now, we have chartered trips to all these venues, aimed, to a great extent, at the elderly and those in the inner cities. I'd suggest they are targeting those that can least afford to gamble, but it's a harmless diversion right? Another questionable activity in my opinion. But, it's legal. If there is revenue to be had, we will get around to legalizing that activity sooner or later. The thinking being, people will do it anyway, it's safer to do it in the open. Yes, I can understand the logic behind that, all it takes is a surrender. If you once decide that man is not capable of controlling themselves, of conducting themselves within the confines of society, that would be the only option available.
I don't know. I guess if people want to gamble, let them gamble. It can lead to all kinds of trouble but that's their problem. Currently the narrative is; allow others to do whatever they want to do and you had best embrace that! We are not supposed to even suggest that there may be a problem with their choices. Nothing is more stark to me than the decision that killing babies is a choice. Abortion solely for the sake of, I don't want a baby. But I'm not going to rant further about that. I'm just saying we started with Bingo and look what we have today. Gambling is main stream, fully endorsed and indeed promoted by government. Let yourself Play is the byword of the day.
None of this is meant to say you shouldn't gamble. I've been known to place a bet or two myself. I'm not saying they shouldn't race the horses. I'm just looking at the progression of time and general sensibilities. Seems to me the American Dream was a bit more idealist in years past. The bar was set quite high. God Bless America! Our soldiers returning from WW2 were asked what they fought for. They answered, for Mom and Apple pie. That gave rise to the familiar saying, " As American as Motherhood and Apple pie. " I'm thinking that we have forgotten the American dream. I'm thinking we are surrendering that dream, giving up on it, with the excuse, man will do it anyway. And as a result I find myself feeling like a modern day Don Quixote, tilting at windmills. I just can't let go of the dream. We can do it! You can do it! It's just that sometimes you have to say no! No to others, and No to yourself.
Do dreams come true? Yes they do, but they come true far more often through hard work and perseverance than by happenstance. Additionally if we are to remove God from our country, as many advocate today, just who will make that dream come true? What do we have if not a prayer? I can only say God Bless America, Motherhood and Apple pie! And I don't mean gluten free apple pie either!
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