Bear with me as I pass along a few more anecdotes from our town associated with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York, visitors flocked to the Statue of Liberty replica at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, where they began leaving flowers, candles, flags and notes to the victims.
Two recent slot tournament winners had their hearts in the right place. A South Beach, Fla., resident who won the $50,000 grand prize at the Golden Nugget pledged 50 percent of her winnings to the victims'
relief fund. And a Houston, Texas, woman, who also won a slot tournament at the Golden Nugget, pledged she would donate $25,000 of the $50,000 winnings to a fund benefiting victims of the Sept.11 attack and/or their families. Nice gestures.
GAS GIVEAWAY
Here's a few things you might want to know about. The Castaways (formerly the Showboat, but this is the last time I'm going to tell you that) has a great promo going that lets you win gas for your vehicle.
It began Oct. 1, and here's how it works. Every time you win at bingo; are a 3-spot winner at keno; hot any blackjack; are a winner of a 3-team parlay card or better; or win any hand-paid jackpot at slots, you'll get a ticket for the weekly free gas drawing. Or go to any City Stop and pick up a coupon for five free drawing tickets.
First draw will be Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. and every Wednesday night at the same time following the initial draw. If you're lucky enough to win, you'll have free gas for a year. It's better than a crummy T-shirt, doncha think?
CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN
While I'm talking about the Castaways, bring the family down to the Big Top Oct. 10 through Oct. 14 as the Zelzah Shrine Circus sets up its midway, tents and lots of other stuff at the Castaways (and we know what it used to be, don't we?). It's always lots of fun and tickets are only 10 bucks for adults, a fin for the kid if the little darling is under 12.
JAZZ BENEFIT
Cathy Sherrod calls to tell me that KUNV 91.5FM is hosting a world-class benefit concert Oct. 21 at Artemus Ham Concert Hall on the UNLV campus. The concert will kick off at 7 p.m. and features vocalist Mary Stallings with her trio, plus the highly-acclaimed jazz sextet One for All.
General admission is $35, with VIP tickets going for $150. The VIP package consists of two tickets in preferred seats and an exclusive invitation to the pre-concert reception with the performers catered by Jazzed Café. You can buy your tickets at the Performing Arts Box Office (895-2787). Should be a great night.
READER RANTS & RAVES
Now I'm going to turn over my column to a couple of readers. As you know, several columns ago I wrote about going to see The Scintas. I was upset when four people at a table wouldn't stand when the group was singing "Proud to Be an American" and asked the audience to stand when they sang the words "Stand up for America."
Apparently one of my readers took offense and wrote me the following letter. Unfortunately, it was not signed, but was sent from the personnel office of an educational facility, name unknown. You might want to comment on the letter once you've read it.
"I thought your comments about the four people at the Scintas performance not 'standing up for America' were extremely ignorant. That's the arrogance that the rest of the world has come to resent. You were right about people being free to think and act freely, but then you went on to condemn these people for not standing up.
"You even went so far as to say that if they weren't willing to stand up, they shouldn't be in the country, American or not. If you visited China and you were at a performance where they asked everyone to 'stand up for China', would you? With all of their human rights violations, would you stand up?
"If not, should you even be there? I have visited many countries that have national policies that I disagree with. That doesn't mean that I stop visiting them or stop trying to understand their culture. Americans (and I am one by the way) tend to hold up the American way of life as the best and most admirable way to live. The problem is they don't have any tolerance for people that live a different way, or may not agree with them."
"Tolerance is supposed to be one of America's greatest strengths,
but I think it's one of its greatest weaknesses. American's have an
oxymoronic attitude. You have the freedom of religion. And many Americans have given their lives for this freedom. But if part of your religious practice is to not stand up for national anthems or salute flags (such as the Jehovah Witnesses) then you are spurned and told that you don't belong in this country.
"That's not freedom! That's completely hypocritical. There's also the remote possibility that there were medical reasons for those people not standing. I believe in America and the rights and freedoms it stands for. But I also understand why so many people around the world don't respect America or its citizens.
"How can we call ourselves the great melting pot and laud our freedoms and liberties when someone who chooses not to stand during a patriotic display (for reasons that aren't known by anyone else) are categorized as not belonging and not eligible for those freedoms and liberties?
"There are many countries in which you would be arrested or even killed for speaking out against the government and its leaders. There could also be dire consequences for not putting up a picture of your leader in your home and office, or not bowing down to a religious icon. People the world over come to America to escape from this type of oppression.
"What's the difference between those examples and making someone stand for a song about America in order to prove that they deserve to be here? The very freedoms you believe in (and rightfully so) are not being extended to people that you think are being disrespectful. That's the true test of how strongly you believe in those freedoms.
"Someone once asked Rush Limbaugh what he thought about Howard Stern and his controversial radio show. Rush said "I disagree with everything he says, but I'll fight for his right to say it." I don't think you completely understand the liberties that you think were slapped in the face at that performance.
"If you did, you would have tried to understand the reasons
why those people weren't standing, and then offered to fight for their
right to do it without being condemned. Any patriotism that involves
anger and hate and intolerance is not the patriotism that the founders
of our country would be proud of."
So as you can see, the letter writer took me to task. On the other hand, and in much fewer words, Marilyn writes: "Lenny: I'm a newcomer to the Internet. Your columns are informative & have me anxious to return to Vegas. We go about 4 times a year. Your opinion Re: the four sick individuals who wouldn't rise for 'God Bless America' @ the Rio was 1000% right. Many thanks."
And a final word and big thank-you to reader Judy Niemann who sent me a delightful birthday card (my birthday is this Saturday, Oct. 6). I would like to say a big Happy Birthday!!! to Judy's husband who celebrates his 70th birthday the day before mine.
As for all you readers who ignored my pleas for cards, I guess I'll forgive you, but I hope by next year you've got the date marked down and have saved up some money. I will accept gifts, but I much prefer cash.
Good luck, and I'll see you on the Strip.
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If you have a question, comment, or would like to share a Las Vegas experience, please e-mail me at lennylv@lvcm.com
