Editor – The residents of our humble town have grown accustomed to turning a blind eye to the many symptoms of the decay of our society.
There are numerous occurrences that we have come to accept as “normal”, part of our everyday lives: blatant racism, drug addiction, alcoholism, violence and shamefully severe inequality between genders. The latest cancer to find a home in our town is a casino.
One would think that would spark a unified outrage as a response from residents, but nothing happened.
A casino is a centre where people go to buy hope, get taxed on it, and get full disappointment.
The unfortunate part of this is: The people who rely on hope cannot afford to buy it, let alone pay taxes on it. The ones who cannot afford it will be the ones who are fleeced by such an establishment.
And what will we say we did when they took over? Nothing. We’ll say we just stood there and watched.
There’s the argument that “it’s not a casino, it’s a bingo hall”. I say: Polish a turd and it’s still a turd. As the old saying goes: “You can urinate on my face, but don’t tell me it’s raining”.
Social clubs, religious groups, community leaders and even normal residents have all been a little too quiet.
That makes me wonder: Does no one care anymore?
Have we given up? Does our town belong to the dogs and can they do with it (and its people) as they please? I hope not – with free hope I didn’t get taxed on!
If nothing is done by us, may the cancers within that cancer cause it to implode before it can cause any significant damage to our already crippled town.
Or else… Au revoir, Ladysmith. You have been the Devil we know, but what you will be is a mystery to us all.
