Viva Las Vegas

Las Vegas…a playground for grownups.

I’ve been here many times over the years and I must admit that I LOVE Las Vegas! I’ve never been a gambler and I don’t think I’ve bet more than $20 in the dozen or more times that I’ve been here, so it’s not the gambling that I like. The food here is wonderful and if you read this blog, then you know I love food! There’s sex here if that’s what you’re looking for (I never have). What I love the most about Vegas is the energy. There is something happening here 24x7…they don’t even put clocks in the Casinos because they think you don’t, or shouldn’t, care what time it is.

Hedonism is big here. Live for the moment and have fun…This philosophy drives a lot of condemnation, mostly from those who feel that it violates their religious and moral beliefs.

I am not without moral beliefs, but I don’t agree with judging others based on these. I may agree that a dangerous murdered must be imprisoned (in some instances for life) to safeguard society, but I don’t judge the murderer. I don’t presume that I could ever know what drove him/her to commit their crime or what I might have done with the same motivation. Likewise, I don’t judge others on where they find their pleasure.

I don’t have a problem seeing Sex being promoted…
I don’t have a problem with Drugs or Alcohol…
I don’t have a problem with Gambling…

If these things bother me, then I can take or leave them as I see fit. I don’t think it’s right for me to tell other people how to live their lives. If what you do doesn’t hurt or limit the rights of anyone else, then it’s your business (as far as I’m concerned). Some would say that this belief makes me immoral in some way (certainly many of the Christians that I grew up with would say this). I think that their judgments make them immoral. There is nothing in this world that scares me more than some one who is so arrogant in their belief that they know truth (know what God wants) that they can condemn others based on their beliefs…that they can even condemn and hate others based on their beliefs. This is when belief (even in good things) becomes dangerous and evil.

I find that I can’t bring myself to hate anyone. Still, there are many out there who I pity in their arrogant ignorance (and I fear them). Please give the other guy the benefit of the doubt, or at least admit that doubt might exist…that you might not know everything.

Best! Norm.