On my bicycle commute into work yesterday morning, I watched five cars blow through a red light at the corner of Benson Boulevard and Spenard Road.
The editorial from Feb. 24 regarding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to legalize gambling closes with the line, “As with other vices such as marijuana and alcohol, Alaskans should be permitted to spend their money as they see fit, so long as it doesn’t harm others,” capping a wholly unsatisfying, illogical and frankly ignorant opinion. Is the editorial board completely oblivious to the fact that alcohol does harm more than those who drink?
Justifying gambling by framing it as something that already exists in both legal and illegal forms is like saying running red lights should be legal as long as no one gets hurt, because people are already doing it. Arguments like the one presented in last Sunday’s paper do a disservice to your readers.
— Jedediah R. Smith
Anchorage
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