Hendrik Hertzberg, citing poll results indicating that, among New Yorkers, opposition to bicycle lanes on city streets is for people of all ages, ethnicities, and boroughs-of-residence under 50 per cent, while among those who identify themselves as Republicans opposition stands at 59 per cent, muses:
I'm sure there are many decent, sensible individual Republicans. But as a category, Republican appears to have absolutely no positive qualities whatsoever. Am I wrong about that? If so, could someone please tell me what I am overlooking?
I have a candidate! Socially conservative, Bible-believing voters tend to oppose state-sponsored lotteries and other gambling games to which cash-strapped governments are turning, more and more, for revenue. It's one issue on which I concur with the pious. There are a lot of things that government shouldn't do and one item on that list is raising funds by, in effect, imposing a tax on people who aren't good at math. What's worse, government inevitably begins encouraging people to gamble, including by advertisements in the media, so desperately does it need the money. When I see one of these ads I always wonder why so many people seem to regard the progressive income tax as illegal governmental confiscation of private wealth, a violation of the commandment against stealing, whereas only me and the Bible-thumpers have similar ideas about luring suckers and thrill-seekers to pay to play games of chance they can't win.
Why is state-sponsored gambling morally acceptable social policy but so-called "soak-the-rich" income tax rates an abomination?
The Hippocratic oath--"first, do no harm"--should be applied to more than the practice of medicine. I personally prefer it to the Golden Rule, which is too often an excuse for busy-bodies to swing into action. My advice would be just to refrain from causing harm, and government, when it actively encourages people to gamble, violates that basic rule of decent behavior.
Bike lanes, on the other hand--yes, by all means! Republicans are opposed? Then I'm more sure than before that it must be a good idea!
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