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TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2003

"All the misinformation being disseminated lately about tribal government gaming leads one to question whether supporters of gaming across the river are finally beginning to worry that a tribal government gaming initiative may soon be in Nebraska's cards. But if they're counting on the apathy of Nebraska residents or the silence of tribal governments, we have one piece of advice: Don't bet on it.

It's disingenuous to portend that Nebraska voters can't discern fact from fiction. Blatant attempts by the opposition to instill ungrounded fears in the minds of voters and to encourage divisiveness in intertribal relations with references to the Ponca Tribe are far from transparent.

They have purposely tried to muddy the waters with common logical fallacies. Using equivocation, red herrings, begging the question, appealing to antiquity or the false middle, "because of this, this will happen" thinking, or the straw man argument, for-profit, private gaming supporters and their paid lobbyists are trying to confuse Nebraska voters. Even more reprehensible is the little-veiled, racist undertone of much of the misinformation being spread.

Each of these strategies is a poor cover for their true purpose and intent: to fan the flame of anti-Native sentiment in the hope voters will reject tribal government gaming.

But let's look at the facts."

Get the Story:
Mark Peniska: Get facts on tribal gaming initiative (The Lincoln Journal Star 3/18)

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