Gary Palmer: The Battle over bingo is not over

  In the February 28, 2010 edition of The Birmingham News, Sen. Roger Bedford dismissed the inexcusable actions of the crowd of people who disrupted a lawful and peaceful rally against the spread of electronic bingo casinos in Alabama. Protesters arrived on seven commercial buses and carried professionally designed and printed signs, then positioned themselves in front of the Alabama State House while attempting to shout down every speaker.

  If you are interested in seeing what actually happened that day, watch this 2-minute video to see the lengths to which these powerful gambling interests will go to overwhelm and silence any opposition.

  Despite the decidedly negative impact of the protesters, Bedford and other state senators have tried to downplay and even justify the protesters’ actions as frustration over not being allowed to vote on legalizing gambling. All during the legislative session, gambling interests have pounded the airwaves with “let the people vote” ads which have helped give political cover to senators who claim to be “personally” opposed to gambling, but are for “allowing the people to vote.”