Help stop the spread of casinos

In 2003, voters rejected a casino in Sanford. Then, in 2005, they approved a racino in Bangor. In 2007, voters are being asked to approve a Washington County racino. While this latest proposal is being touted as the best way to fix eastern Maine’s sluggish economy, if we really care about Maine’s character, we’ll vote no.

Before making their decision, voters should step back and look at Maine from an outsider’s perspective. The state is known for lobsters, a rugged coastline and friendly, easy-going people. It’s also known as a safe haven far removed from the American rat race. For ourselves and the nation, we must do everything we can to retain our character.

Casinos are synonymous with greed and materialism, two things Maine and Mainers are not. Why would we want to spoil this great state with gambling? While it’s a black mark on our great state that voters approved Hollywood Slots several years ago, it’s not too late to stop the spread of this modern, get-rich-quick plague. A simple “No” on Nov. 6 will ensure our slice of heaven is saved from people intent on proliferating the gambling lifestyle.

Bring back ‘The Curse’

The Lakes Region contingency of Red Sox Nation will probably be very sleepy the next week or so as the 2007 Boston Red Sox battle the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

While it’s exciting to see the BoSox in the series once again, it’s a stark and disturbing development indeed. Surely, these winning Sox are different from the Sox I used to know. And sad to say, I’m not a fan of the new Sox.

I wonder how many other fans are similarly uncomfortable with the recent turn of events in New England sporting. It used to be that the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins were the only good teams in town. The Patriots and the Red Sox were perennial losers. The only question was by how many touchdowns or runs. Now, the Red Sox and Patriots are heroes. It’s all very unsettling. And I don’t like it.

I want to go back to the days of my youth watching Jim Rice and friends do their best, but fail – and fail us – every time. I miss those late innings when the Sox had men in scoring position only to hit into a double play. I’m a New Englander. I’m comfortable with failure.

But more than failure, I’m a fan of the Curse of the Bambino. It was larger than life. It was the great Babe Ruth, stuff of legend, coming back from the other side every September and October to dash our hopes. Little did we realize then that those 86 years between World Series victories were indeed great times.

But, while those miserable yet mythical days are the foundation on which our skeptical and humble New England psyches are built, I’m also not able to root for anyone other than our beloved Red Sox. Go Sox! Sort of.

-John Balentine, editor