Fear and loathing in Rohnert Park
Emily Mead, Editor in Chief

Casinos are truly some of the most loathsome and filth-ridden places ever created by man. They are nothing more than a breeding ground for addiction and debauchery, welcoming with open arms some of the most vile and depraved people you've ever encountered. I can say this with confidence, because I work at one.

Not to over-generalize, as everyone who frequents casinos is not vile and depraved, but the sheer volume of mutant hordes that stumble drunkenly through those casino doors cannot be ignored.

Succinctly: casinos cause crime, and lots of it. No amount of security guards or cameras can thwart the volume of criminal activity that occurs at or near casinos. The use and sale of illicit drugs tends to be at the top of the list. Apparently, the temptation to snort cocaine before spending eight hours on the penny slots is just too great.

Being a patron of a casino is also a great way to find a prostitute, who also may be able to help you with your cocaine addiction. Public drunkenness, reckless driving, DUI’s and counterfeiting are just a few of the remaining criminal activities one is likely to find at a casino when they aren’t more harshly scrutinized by security and/or local police.

A casino is simply a public venue for legitimizing compulsive behavior. The addictions that form as a result of this compulsion are what make casinos more than just hubs for criminal activity; casinos are where souls are sold.

To walk through a casino and examine its patrons is a fascinating thing. With blank stares and faces solemn and hopeless, these people keep on playing, losing one dollar after another. Without blinking, they mindlessly empty their wallets, their bank accounts and their children’s college funds through the ATM’s, which are conveniently located around every corner.

Even more frightening is that the compulsion to gamble away money that you don’t have has been validated by calling it a “disease.” Alcoholism, drug abuse and obesity are diseases because they deal with the addiction to a substance. Being addicted to gambling is like being addicted to someone hitting you in the face with a two by four and occasionally paying you a couple bucks for it. It takes a very specific person to become addicting to gambling, and that person sucks at life.

It would be nice if casinos only existed in places like Las Vegas, which is already a bona fied cesspool. Unfortunately, they have spread like thyroid cancer. Now, Rohnert Park residents can look forward to the putrid life of casinos being in their own backyards. Indeed, nothing says “small, family-oriented college town” like a good old fashioned Indian Casino.

Rohnert Park residents have expressed a number of concerns about the placement of a “world-class casino” in their community. Certainly, increased crime rates is on the list, but has thus far taken a backseat to environmental concerns. Proponents have reiterated the economic boost that a casino would bring to the community. Quite frankly, no amount of job opportunities opened up by this casino could possibly outweigh the indefinite amount of crime it would simultaneously create. I never thought I’d say this, but c’mon people, COWS NOT CASINOS!