The growth of Indian casinos - Essay Example

The growth of Indian casinos There’s definitely a reasonable concern on a of illegal casinos’ growth in our society. Speaking from the ethical point of view on the problem, illegal casinos may be ruled by people who are interested in getting rich on human’s weaknesses or even by criminal authorities, so the necessity of some kind of governmental control upon a gambling business cannot be argued. But the growth of Indian casinos in California is quite a specific case. Here, rulers of half-legal casinos are Native American tribes, and they have very good excuses for running their business in this way.

“In California, perhaps more than in any other state, Indians have endured uninterrupted exploitation, brutality, and sorrow” (Plotz 27). Despite the general conquest all Native Americans had suffered in the past centuries, Californian Indians also were forced to experience whites’ cruelty and greed in times of Golden Rush. Than because of the gold (on which California Indians had never set much value, for example, in comparison with the nature) they were forced to give up native lands.

With the time, tribes and smaller California Indians bands position did not take a turn for the better. “California basically ignored its Indians, right through the 1970s. […] Tribal problems were never discussed”. – Lieutenant Governor McCarthy, a leading opponent of Indian gambling says (Plotz 28). How then California Indians could be fully blamed for trying to survive in the only way they were left? Someone may say that an illegal way is not an answer under any circumstances, however hard our life can be.

That’s true, but developing their gambling business California Indians were actually trying to run casinos in the legal way. For example, in 1990s, “the tribes said they wanted to sign a compact, but then – Governor Pete Wilson who had no great love of gambling or Indians – refused to negotiate” (Plotz 28). By refusing to go in a dialog with the tribes, government itself had pushed them on illegal way. And now tribes are blamed for using their authority and financial resources for purpose of becoming a state governmental power (Plotz 26).

Other words, California Indians are trying to become a legal power themselves and to run their business in conformity of the law. I think, the fact that California Indians wants to be the government on their lands means that they are ready to establish laws and bear the responsibility for state governing. It must not escape our attention that tribes want to be at least represented in state government to define interests of Native Indians while present government negotiates their rights. In fact, by governing California “illegally”, tribes have already shown themselves as good managers of own lands.

A lot of good was done to improve the quality of life of California Indians and other citizens. Infrastructure of the state is developing because of the gambling business, and many common comforts (like electricity and potable water) are now installed. “Gabling tribes have slashed welfare and unemployment rates to zero. […] The casinos, after all, create thousands of jobs, almost all of which go to non-Indians” (Plotz 29). If the gambling business decreases social living standards of the population in California will be certainly decrease too.

In conclusion I would like to stress that I’m not advocating the illegal gambling business in California. I’m advocating rights and justice California Indians deserve as well as white California citizens. These rights must not be cut off from them by radical actions of the present government. Work Cited Plotz, D. “How Indians took over California politics. Jackpot”. The New Republic. March 13, 2000: 26-29.