What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas? Really?

Am I the only person who has a problem with the slogan “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?" There’s even a movie with the same as its title! Oh, and the television commercials to entice you to visit Las Vegas – aren’t they paid for by a state-funded or state–run agency, like the tourism board or something like that? They should be ashamed of themselves! The commercials also say “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.”

I don’t know if I have quite enough to say about this to write a long enough article to be enjoyed by the masses, but I really had to vent about this. This has bothered me for a very long time. Perhaps I’m just now getting around to writing this up because I’ve always had a problem with letting others get to me too much and I try all the time to ignore those that don’t “fit in” with my way of thinking – they’re just not worth my time. What exactly is my problem – what is my point?? Well, it’s just plain IMMORAL! That simple, seven-word sentence says a whole lot more than just those seven words. It says that it’s okay to be immoral. It says that it’s okay to lie. It says that the city of Las Vegas condones lying and cheating. Okay, maybe not cheating, but maybe cheating. Bad behavior. Bad acts. Really, I’m sure no one assumes that it refers to “good behavior”, right? It wouldn’t be so enticing otherwise. Every time I hear that phrase it just makes the hairs on back of my neck stand up. Really, why are they condoning immoral behavior, and why do people go to Vegas to be immoral?

What has happened to this country that this is seen as entertaining and something to look forward to, to desire? Now, I’m certainly no prude, but I do have morals! I would never visit a place that tries to get me there by saying ‘whatever you do here, don’t worry, we won’t tell…’ I don’t ever want to be the type of person that wants to do things that I don’t want others to know. Not that I want my life to be an open book, but I just don’t do bad things (well, I do eat too much chocolate, but at least that’s not immoral!)

I’m already scared about what the world will be like for my kids as they grow and as they have their own kids. I try very hard to raise my kids right and teach them right from wrong so they grow up to be intelligent, independent, good people. Thank goodness they are too young to know what any of this means and, thanks to our DVR (digital video recorder), they rarely see commercials at all, so they haven’t even been exposed. But some day they will be. When that day comes, I may not be there to explain what it means or to play devil’s advocate. I have to hope that I have done a good enough job teaching them to be good people so that they form their own opinion and that it’s the appropriate one.

Las Vegas should be ashamed of itself for promoting immoral behavior. That’s my two cents about your campaign!