My letter to the editor to my local paper. Anyone can feel free to use as your own (as is or modified as you see fit). My letter is modified from DrewOnTilt's letter, who started with a letter written by someone else.
What the hell. We're all family here, right? Anyway, this version is 214 words. My local paper doesn't want anything over 250 words.
Dear Editor,
On April 15th, the Department of Justice indicted three providers of online poker for processing player funds. They call it money laundering. Ten million Americans, myself included, play this skill game as a hobby. In this time of economic trouble and government budget overruns, why is our government focused on busting up poker games? This action is wasteful, and it starts us down a dangerous path towards government interference in our daily lives.
Our legislators should create a regulatory framework that allows responsible operators to provide Internet poker, defines rules for dealing with problem gamblers and minors, and establishes a tax structure. One recent study estimates that taxing Internet poker in the U.S. could generate $42 billion in revenue over ten years.
Furthermore, it is the job of the government to defend my right to life, liberty, and property. It is not the government’s job to protect me from myself. Responsible adults who want to compete against each other at poker, a game of skill, should be allowed to do so from the comfort of their own homes.
Please write and call your congresspersons and request that they support the regulation and taxation of Internet poker. To do so makes good sense from both a personal freedom and a tax revenue point of view.
Sincerely,
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