Our own version of "P.C."

[charlesjay]

The way I frame an argument on behalf of gaming with individuals who couldn't care less about the issue is to position it as part of a much larger picture. Gambling is a prism through which to look at all kinds of things, including personal liberty, privacy, freedom of speech, states' rights, taxes, government regulation, etc.

What I do in some cases is to bring up the principles of Barry Goldwater. Goldwater was libertarian in his thinking, which brought about a lot of mischaracterization among people who were familiar with nothing but an oversized role for government. He wasn't necessarily pro-abortion, pro-gay, pro-drugs or pro-gambling. He just didn't think it was government's place to get involved interfering with the free choices of Americans.

You don't even need to outwardly advocate for something, or suggest that others do the same. Just insist that government shouldn't be involved with the personal choices of its citizens, as long as those choices are not hurting anyone else, and in fact should take a role where, if anything, it will facilitate the right to make those choices.