I wanted to put my two cents in on Wednesday’s RAWA hearing in
the House Judiciary
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations. Though I missed it live, I read much of the
testimony and the write-ups and the fact is that it came off pretty much as I
expected. Not hoped, but expected.
The tone was set when CSIG posted on their Facebook page, “Don't let anyone tell you there is
technology that can make our homes safe.” Of course, that’s
not what happened yesterday, as we writers know the real secret to a successful
story:
SHOW, don’t
tell.
The tech demo did exactly what
CSIG feared it would - SHOW those in attendance exactly how real, live, legal
online gambling works. Really works, not
some hypothetical kid in a commercial.
This is
something that we in the poker/gaming-advocate world have to accept - there are
some (looking at YOU, Chaffetz) that will go with the anecdotal over the proven
fact just because it supports what they already believe. Snowballs disprove Global Warming. That kind of thinking. Not deep at all. On purpose.
Scare tactics
(the bane of CSIG and those that fly their banner) work only on those who are
ill-informed. They might shout us down,
but they can’t prevent the facts from getting out. It’s our job to hammer away at those who ARE
willing to listen.
We scored some
points in the hearing, which is only Round One of what will be a long
fight. We know we’re making progress
when CSIG has to warn off their minions not to “listen” to anyone who wants to
tell them there’s technology that disproves all of their scary stories. And now Chaffetz is co-opting the “States
Rights” argument for his own use (saying his…er, Sheldon’s bull…er, bill
actually protects States’ Rights).
This is what
they do. They obfuscate and distort the facts. They use old and outdated (and disproved)
studies. They SCARE SCARE SCARE so that
folks don’t pay attention to the truth.
Won’t work.
Remain vigilant
and keep up the fight.
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