This is a good letter which hits on lots of key points. Use it or your own, E-mail or Snail mail. Senate contact website here also. 5 minutes or less of everyone's time is the least we can do to help keep our rights. Maybe a mod can make this a sticky.
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Dear sir:
I write to you with great concern. As I understand, you may be asked to vote on a bill that would make internet gambling illegal. As you are probably well aware, this bill would be very hard to enforce as banks really do not have time to figure out which transactions are gambling related and asking ISPs to block gambling sites is going to be next to impossible. Gambling sites will do everything they can to change IP addresses and bank accounts making enforcement a disaster. All of the above aside, my concern does not center on gambling. My concern centers on two issues:
1. I do not believe the U.S. government should regulate what adult citizens do with their money on their time as long as their activities do not harm others.
2. I do not think the U.S. government should censor the internet. This is a hugely dangerous thing to do that will stifle innovation for years. Rather than vote to outlaw internet gambling, I ask that you consider a proposal to study it and potentially regulate it. 50,000,000 Americans enjoy online gambling. With regulation, the U.S. government can make sure children are not involved and can help problem gamblers to block themselves from playing. A study will also point out that while disadvantaged people often play the lotteries, the average internet gambler is of above average salary and is not "clicking his mouse and losing his house"
Additionally, as you are aware, the WTO has ruled that the United States must either outlaw all internet gambling (Including lotteries and horse racing) on moral grounds or outlaw none of it. I am a believer that the WTO is important to our worldwide freedoms and do not think we should ignore it.
Further, if somehow, this law was enforced, and all internet gambling was blocked, we have all learned that prohibition does not work. If you vote in favor of this law, it will become law (Already passed the House and President Bush has said he will sign it). This law could rightly be renamed the Organized Crime Endorsement and Funding Act. I thank you for listening and hope you will vote against this proposed legislation.
My friends and I feel very strongly about this. Thank you,
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Dear sir:
I write to you with great concern. As I understand, you may be asked to vote on a bill that would make internet gambling illegal. As you are probably well aware, this bill would be very hard to enforce as banks really do not have time to figure out which transactions are gambling related and asking ISPs to block gambling sites is going to be next to impossible. Gambling sites will do everything they can to change IP addresses and bank accounts making enforcement a disaster. All of the above aside, my concern does not center on gambling. My concern centers on two issues:
1. I do not believe the U.S. government should regulate what adult citizens do with their money on their time as long as their activities do not harm others.
2. I do not think the U.S. government should censor the internet. This is a hugely dangerous thing to do that will stifle innovation for years. Rather than vote to outlaw internet gambling, I ask that you consider a proposal to study it and potentially regulate it. 50,000,000 Americans enjoy online gambling. With regulation, the U.S. government can make sure children are not involved and can help problem gamblers to block themselves from playing. A study will also point out that while disadvantaged people often play the lotteries, the average internet gambler is of above average salary and is not "clicking his mouse and losing his house"
Additionally, as you are aware, the WTO has ruled that the United States must either outlaw all internet gambling (Including lotteries and horse racing) on moral grounds or outlaw none of it. I am a believer that the WTO is important to our worldwide freedoms and do not think we should ignore it.
Further, if somehow, this law was enforced, and all internet gambling was blocked, we have all learned that prohibition does not work. If you vote in favor of this law, it will become law (Already passed the House and President Bush has said he will sign it). This law could rightly be renamed the Organized Crime Endorsement and Funding Act. I thank you for listening and hope you will vote against this proposed legislation.
My friends and I feel very strongly about this. Thank you,
