It's not entirely clear to me where this casino would come - inside the town which as people are saying is already touristy and not particularly authentic or interesting? In that case, it doesn't seem like there'd be much damage to the battlefield or to its reputation. That is, unless the casino starts using the battlefield in its advertizing, which one might argue they'll do automatically through the name alone, even if they don't otherwise focus on it (which one assumes they probably would). So eh, if it were up to me, rather not.
Other side of the battlefield from the town it appears. As I understand it, they are planning to put Gettysburg in the name and that's all the place is known for, so yeah, pretty much using the site for advertising.
Whereas if it's really located close to the battlefield, I'm opposed a fortiori.
I live within 20 miles of a rather famous battlefield myself - Waterloo. Now, that one has certain elements that one might call tacky as it is (there's an artificial hill with a statue of a lion on the top, symbolizing one of the Allied princes who supposedly got wounded on that location but kept fighting anyway, something like that), but if someone had the idea of building a casino or something similar there... yeah, I'd be opposed to that too. And I think Gettysburg is far more important to the national sentiments of Americans than Waterloo is to that of Belgians (after all, Belgium was only created fifteen years after Waterloo).
I'm pretty forgiving of tacky so long as it bows to the overall format, whether it's a tacky memorial itself or the crap the vendors sell to gullible and overly enthusiastic tourists, and I hate telling people what's moral or appropriate, especially on their own land, glad to know I'm apparently acting rationally on this one.
Note on the map, the site is right along the route one would follow coming up from baltimore or DC, basically on the other side of the park from the town, I would guess that the intent is snap up some of those tourists of course, but it's only about 50 miles to Baltimore & DC from there, as opposed to 100 from Philly or 150 to pittsburgh and NYC, so it probably does have realistic chances for regular non-tourist draw from baltimore, as maryland has no casinos and only recently allowed a set number of slot machines, and Gettysburg is much closer than Atlantic City.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
- Albert Einstein
King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
Preservation group backs Gettysburg casino
- 17/08/2010 09:35:29 PM
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I visited Gettysburg probably like 5 years ago
- 17/08/2010 10:41:57 PM
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It all depends a little on the details... but my first impression is negative, yeah.
- 18/08/2010 12:15:51 AM
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Unsurprisingly I have a map 
- 18/08/2010 02:38:11 AM
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- 18/08/2010 02:38:11 AM
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I toured Gettysburg with Professor James McPherson a few years ago.....
- 18/08/2010 03:33:45 AM
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