Hypnotized in Las Vegas

A funny but sad comment on Las Vegas -- as we walked through the casino the kids observed the slot players. At one point, Emma asked quite innocently (and loudly), "Why are they all hypnotized?" and then made a pose of staring and put her arm and hand in the position they have their arms and hands and made the motion of hitting the button over and over with a blank stare. I laughed that she had observed the zombie-like addicts. Then for a moment I had the thought to be embarrassed by her very forward comment, in case some of them had overheard. But, then I thought, 1) it's truthful, 2) if any did overhear, perhaps it would be a wakeup call, and 3) I looked around and saw that none of the zombies had heard or or if they had, they had no reaction to it. All in all, the casino, especially the rows and rows and columns and columns of slot machines, is quite a surreal place. Freaky almost. And sad. We even saw a very old couple who looked to be in their 80s (really 80s, and not just the early aging of a chain-smoker) with the wife slumped forward in a wheelchair -- the both of them clearly belonging in a convalescent community -- and probably spending their fixed-income social security. The wife just sat there nearly comatose, hardly watching as the husband put in coins and pushed the button. (I didn't see any slot machines with Levers. i guess levers is too much work, whereas a button is manageable). I'm saddened when I think of the shattered lives that Vegas results in. I'm saddened that the prophets rallying cry to vote against gambling was not listened to by even the saints, who feel the prophet may speak on religion but should mind his own business about politics.

The experience for my children of observing casino behavior gave us the chance to discuss these things. I think that it is healthy to expose them to that and discuss it. As opposed to some christian/mormon parents who refuse to bring their children into the den of iniquity for fear of exposing to something they will then want to partake of. Indeed, one of Emmas teammates did not come to this meet because of that very reason - her parents refused to participate in a meet in "Sin City". My philosophy is that to pretend it isn't there and shield them from knowing about it opens the way to them having to decide at that moment how they will choose, when they learn about it on their own. Whereas if we teach them about it purposefully, we can prepare them now so they can make the choice now to not fall into that trap and then they won't have to decide that later, in the moment. (Some might call that indoctrination, I think of it as innoculation :)

-Joe