As you may have heard, Dennis Gomes, described as the “gimmick king of Atlantic City” (his official title is president of resort operations for Aztar, which owns AC’s Tropicana) is leaving Aztar a bit early. One of my readers seized on this newsbit to send me an interesting email….
Think it’s possible to send a message that references George W. Bush, John Paul II in heaven, Hitler, the supression of democratic activists in Tiananmen, and a hip, upscale eatery at the Tropicana’s Quarter expansion?
It is possible, as evidenced by this missive from “Al Absecon” that even has illustrations:
“When Georgians gathered here 16 years ago, this square had a different name. Under Lenin’s steely gaze, thousands of Georgians prayed and sang, and demanded their independence. The Soviet army crushed that day of protest but they could not crush the spirit of the Georgian people. “The following year, Georgians returned to this square and pulled down the statue of Lenin”.
from the speech of The President of the United States of America �.May 10tht, 2005.THIS YEAR THE TROPICANA CASINO RESORT ALLOWED A 12 FOOT STATUE OF THE FATHER AND FOUNDER OF COMMUNISM
VLADMIR ILICH LENIN
TO BE ERECTED IN THE “QUARTER” AT TROPICANA CASINO IN ATLANTIC CITY, NJ?
Estimates from leading Soviet and European scholars in the book “Black Book of Communism” show some 85 to 100 million dead at the hands of 20th-century Communists. Here again, Lenin, as the founding father of Communist, is strongly implicated, to be a mass murder. Stalin was the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century. His regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions of his subjects. Will his statue be next to sell vodka?
It gives me a frictional gut wrenching pain to look at that statue and think how much was sacrificed to fight against what that man represents. Those of us who have lost loved ones in the Vietnam War have experienced the Hammer and Sickle of Communism across our hearts. And now LENIN’s statue stands in America, after being torn down in Russia. Why not complete the scene and show at the base of the statue 85 to 100 million dead bodies. Which include 58,000 American soldiers, non-combatants and MIAs from the Vietnam War. All who died as a result of the scourge of Communism.
HE IS A MASS MURDERER AND AN ANTI-AMERICAN, AGAINST EVERYTHING THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR.
But let’s forget that�.. It’s ONLY a novelty�..A side show attraction�. And maybe it will help sell a little extra vodka……..
Last month we buried Pope John Paul II, who ran away from the Nazis, became a priest and went back to Poland and fought all his life to defeat Communism. I pray that he stands next to me and gives me the strength to continue my quest to have that statue removed.
Let us remember “THE HOLOCAUST” and those that were killed by the distorted reasoning of another mass murderer. If an Israeli marketplace was to be replicated in Atlantic City would a 12′ ft. statue of Hitler be placed there as part of Jewish history? How many Germany restaurants would have a statue of Hitler outside their businesses? How many Italian restaurants would have a statue of Mussolini?
But we’re only trying sell a little vodka����.
Is there a statue of Stalin outside New York’s Russian Tea Room, soliciting vodka or tea sales? Will Jeffrey Chodorow, owner of the Red Square Restaurant in the Trop, push the envelope even further by having a replica of Tiananmen Square,
showing a Chinese demonstrator being run over by tanks at his next opening of the China Grill, another of his successful restaurant ventures.
Anything that you can do or influence to accomplish the goal of having the statue removed, is greatly appreciated both here and in heaven where it matters most.
START BY WRITING LETTERS TO THE TROPICANA ASKING THEM TO TAKE DOWN LENIN’S STATUE…IT’S AND INSULT TO OUR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY!!!
SEND THEM TO:
TROPICANA CASINO RESORT
S BRIGHTON AVE & THE BOARDWALK, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ 08401
ATTN: COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Well, there you have it. What is a good-natured, post-modern, ironic use of one of the icons of world communism for one man is blasphemy for another.