The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-04-30
This Rock
Of Ours"
BY BILL GLIB

Anyone living in Key West
finds it hard not to become IN
volved sin the present ministerial
and poiitical$ Argument about
gambling. Personally, l sedf it is
ike putting your head in a lions
measths 10 say anything ON eitheF
side. q ~ q t8@ . e 8
But this is g. supposed to be u
column of local events and ppin'
-ioy, ca ast@ So Pr NJ -.
Both Louis Carbonell and c. B.
Harvey have given their views
IN the subject of an Open city,
For once, 1 don't think either of
hem are playing politics, They
nave spoken from the bottom Of
heir hearts and let the chips
TALL where they might. Each
,tands ts gain and to lose few
supporters. In the long run, and
I'm sorry | feel this way, neither
s going to accomplish anything
oward solving the problem.
YoE-the people-are simply
too lazy and selfish to bother
yourselves with the effort
necessary to carry the matter to
a successful conclusion. Wheth- !
er you want an Open" or
CLOSED" city. you want it serv-
ed to you on a silver platter
with no effort expended on
your part. ... ......*.-
Well, the result is going to be
hat you'n continue to have the
present. unhealthy condition, |
I'm not saying there is graft or
corruption in Key West. l couldn't
begin to prove such an assertion.
But do say that the local state
# affairs can easily lead to a
ilthy, scandalous crime-Wave re-
jembling conditions recently un-
overed in Miami Tampa. and
other towns.
l can't go along with the minis
.ers when they consider gambling
Entirely from a moral standpoint.
respect their ideas. l know they
re sincere. But l honestly feel
hat they do not have the oppor-
unity to observe at fiTst-hand
ne inner compulsions, the driv-
ing urge, that makes a gambler
isk his everything on the flip of
a card, or the cast of dice. |
Your true gambler is a diseased
nan. Whether it is d disease of
The body or the mind, | don't
know. But he. often hates to
gamble as much as your real
alcoholic hates to drink, or your
lope addict despises. his afflic-
ion. I've often suspected maso-
chiatic streak in the gambler 81
makeup. He enjoys the suffer-
ing of not knowing what Fate
holds in store for him. Someday, |.
perhaps medical science will be-
able to give us more light on
his particular phase o.t y
In the meantime, I'll crawl out
On a limb hope the opposition.
will do no more than to call me a
misguided fool"
Gambling can be controlled by
the city. 1t can't be wiped out.
The experience Of Prohibition
;hould have taught us that much.
Also, a lot of the evil that ac-
companies gambling is present
because of undercover secrecy.
Pull gambling out in the open
md this evil will disappear.
One more thing. If the minis
ters had an open" city, they |
would know who the gamblers
are. They could 60 to work and
perhaps help some of these men.
Under present conditions, any
)ne can attend church on Sun
lay and secretly gamble the rest
If the week. The non gamblers of I
the community will never know
he difference. "+t'>'
The above is my opinion of
course. In actual practice, mi
Fundamentally assist the ma
ority-either for a CLOSED" or
open" city until the proper
solution is found. Let's get togeth-I
er and have one or the other !
,hough-the present condition is !,
rotten and dangerous.