Frackville Elks and the Jackboots

I expand upon this story in my latest podcast.

As a libertarian minded conservative, I was angered recently when the Pennsylvania State Police and the Liquor Control Board raided the local Elks club and seized money and video poker machines. Many people where I live are livid about the raid, and blame the State Police and Liquor Control for their fascist tactics.

The Elks are popular in this town of about 4,200 that's still struggling to recover from the decline of the coal industry. The lodge sponsors a Little League baseball team, summertime movies in the borough park and a fishing tournament for kids. To many Frackville residents, the raid was politically motivated or was another example of how the downtrodden region gets no respect.

"It would be different if they were selling dope or prostitutes or if the football pool was $100,000 a block," said Bender, who is not a member of the Elks. "It's a shame. The state police and LCB don't realize what the Elks do for the veterans and the kids."

I agree that the cops overstepped their bounds. The Elks does more for the communities they serve in one weekend than any State Police barracks does in a year.

What was more underhanded was several months ago, a woman joined the Elks and Elks Auxillery. Turned out she was an under cover State Police woman. I would have asusmed that the presence of an adams apple should have clued them in she wasn't a normal woman. But she joined, and even the day of the raid was serving breakfast at their monthly breakfast fundraiser.

I find it ironic that the government wants us to gamble. The Agitator points out connections to Tony Soprano. If a mafia tries to break-up a rival gambling ring, it's a crime and bad, but if the State Police do it, it's just to "protect us". I say there is no difference. The gambling at the Elks was cutting into the profits of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Here in Pennsylvania the Lottery recently started pulling two sets of numbers, and our legislature recently approved slot machines at racetracks and casinos. See the connection? The money from the legal lottery and slots will go into the pockets of the government to waste on what not.

But try to have a sports pool to help pay for heating oil or for kids with cancer, and the State wants to come in and stop it.

Those police should be ashamed.

Posted by psugrad98 at February 12, 2006 07:05 PM | TrackBack