I joined this wiki because: Sorry I do not know how to use this site properly yet. My name is Libby Mitchell. Please check our web site (being rebuilt as we speak) www.dutyofcare.org.au I want to tell everybody about the Silent Scream BAN POKIES March that is being held in Sydney Australia on 24th August 2008 at Tumbalong Park Darling Harbour at 10.30am. We need 'unidentifiable' bodies to wear a mask that expresses their feelings about poker machines...to march with us and send the message to the gambling industry and the government that we have had enough of family and community destruction from poker machines. We want users of poker machines to be kept safer from harms...or BAN pokies!!
The best word to describe me is: Determined.
Interests: Social Justice, Consumer Law and Protection Issues, Human Rights, Health and Humanity.
Favorite movies:
Favorite TV shows:
My hero(es):
My superpower is:
If I could live anywhere, it would be: In a community / state / country with no poker machines....with all of my family and friends...living next door to Bob Dylan!
My dream job(s): Living!
What else you should know about me: I endured a severe poker machine addiction for over a decade, which I was able to hide for years because poker machines were advertised as 'fun' so I could legitimately 'play' them! I finally was forced to face my addiction when I could no longer hide its destructive consequences. Thankfully my family stuck by me and without them I simply would not still be here! With 2 other women whom I met on the web, we established Duty of Care Incorporated, a non profit community assciation committed to banning poker machines or making them much safer. We see that the laws relating to poker machines are deficient, the governments who pretend to be concerned about problem gambling are deficient and the gambling industry is the most rapacious and irresponsible industry in the world, because it uses money to promote myths and lies about these dangerous consumer products, poker machines. We want to explode those myths. We want to see communities made stronger and we cannot accept that $$$billions should be lost from the community purse, in the name of "pokies fun", whilst communities must pick up the pieces. Prostitution, Divorce, Bankruptcies, Crime, Suicide are not 'unfortunate spin offs' that must be tolerated by society as being unavoidable. They are MORE avoidable and our governments are 'playing with themselves and us' in not being more aggressive in making regulation of the gambling industry more responsible.
SAY HELLO! Leave me a comment below, or send me a private message or compliment!
Duty of Care are organising a pokies protest march. The march will be held in Darling Harbour from 10.30am on August 24th 2008. All marchers are asked to wear a mask that expresses how they feel about poker machines. For more details, see www.dutyofcare.org.au or email nellgwynn55@bigpond.com Senator Nick Xenophon (independent No Pokies Senator) will attend and speak with marchers Bring a friend...,,,bring a banner...organise a bus trip. Lets tell the government how we feel about poker machines and the harm they are causing our family, our friends and our communities.
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"I believe that any move that encourages discussion about pokies is fantastic. I encourage everyone to attend. I also believe in full disclosure. Even though the image originated from a painting, wearing masks that were popularized by a teen orientated slasher movie is not something I agree with. I disagree with the notion of hiding one's identity. What would be more effective is for people to call upon Safeway / Woolworths (depending upon which state you live in) to practice responsible gaming. Also, telling shoppers about Safeway / Woolworths involvement with pokies will inform them about the kind of organisation shoppers choose to support with their grocery expenditure. Government seem to have been consistently deaf to calls to bring in more responsible practices. Maybe its time to address an orgainsation who by its own statements is associated with over 11,000 pokies. "
You disagree with hiding IDENTITY? ....really....ANONYMOUS?? How very consistent your comment is!
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Sec 161(a) of the Victorian Fair Trading Act 1999 demands that any good or service MUST provide a receipt for spending for purchases made over $50....without the consumer having to ask!! Poker machines were found in 2005 to be operated outside the law....since then the venues have tried to dream up some 'band aid ' measure to avoid being charged with illegal business operations. Try getting a receipt for a poker machine AUTOMATICALLY in ANY venue after spending $50...!! The gambling industry and venues have been 'excused' ....a blind eye has been turned...because the Victorian government WANTS them to trade illegally!! Yet this quoted consumer law was brought in to protect ALL consumers. There is a subtle but misguided belief in society that poker machine users are 'socially deficient, defective mental losers' who thus do not deserve legal protection fro mconsumer or other laws. Pokies industry full adherence to the law is thus allowed to be ignored...as if "users of poker machines deserve 'all harm that befalls them'....so WHO would deserve or need a receipt for spending??" This is an abuse of human rights. Without a spending receipt NO consumer may be responsible because he/she cannot know what is spent so cannot budget. Smart cards for users of poker machines MUST be brought in...to force the gambling industry to fully comply with consumer law. Poker machines users ALSO should be MADE to have a license to use pokies....these are dangerous and deadly products...that cause mass community destruction! To think that they are a fun recreation is just ROT...when the majority of pokies users all over-spend very badly! Such nonsense is peddled like insults eg " only Wowsers hate pokies"...."only 2% of people have a problem so it's no problem"...it is CRAP! Designed to appeal to our emotive self-worth, herding instincts!! Make pokies user buy a license! Right now our fish are protected better than people!
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