The Parable of the Roulette Wheel

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, what can you do when law makers who are elected to stop criminals make more money from the criminals than they do from stopping the criminals?”

Josh spoke thus:

A county sheriff was sitting at the roulette table of a local saloon.  The county sheriff was counting the night’s winnings so far.

“Do you have to do that at the table?” the person to the county sheriff’s right asked the county sheriff.

“What’s wrong with counting my money?” the county sheriff asked, “It’s my money.”

“It used to be my money,” the person to the county sheriff’s left said, “It’s bad etiquette to count your winnings at the table.”

“Well according to you,” the county sheriff said, “I’m not counting my winnings, I’m counting your losses.”

The person to the county sheriff’s left rose in disgust and walked away.

The county sheriff held out a handful of dollar coins in the face of the person to the county sheriff’s right.  “I do believe these used to be yours,” the county sheriff said.

The person to the county sheriff’s right stood and walked away.  The county sheriff sat at the roulette table.  The only other person at the roulette table was the operator of the roulette wheel.

“Pick a number,” the county sheriff said to the operator of the roulette wheel.

“Seven,” the operator of the roulette wheel said.

“Seven it is,” the county sheriff said, and the county sheriff placed a stack of dollar coins on the number seven.

“You know I can’t,” the operator of the roulette wheel said, “I can only tilt the wheel when others are at the table.  I have to bring in money.”

“You’ll be bringing in grief if you don’t spin that wheel,” the county sheriff said.

“Place your bets!” the operator of the roulette wheel called to no one, “Place your bets!  No more bets!”

The operator of the roulette wheel gave the wheel a spin and injected the ball.  The ball circled quickly, then less quickly, then slowly, falling neatly into its slot.

“Number 20, black!” the operator of the roulette wheel called out.

The county sheriff stood angrily and pulled out a revolver.

“Say seven!” the county sheriff said.

“Number 20, black!” the operator of the roulette wheel said.

“Say seven!” the county sheriff said.

“Seven!” two voices said on either side of the county sheriff.  The two players who had risen from the county sheriff’s right and left had returned.  The player on the left pointed a gun at the operator of the roulette wheel.  The player on the right pointed a gun at the county sheriff.

“You win!” the player on the left said to the county sheriff while taking the county sheriff’s gun.

“Give him all the money,” the player on the right said to the operator of the roulette wheel.

The operator of the roulette wheel gave all the dollar coins to the deputy sheriff.

“Give me the money,” the player on the left said to the deputy sheriff.  The deputy sheriff pushed the money to the player on the left.

“The house steals from us,” the player on the right said.

“You steal from the house,” the player on the left said.

“We steal from you,” the player on the right said.

“Keeps the game honest,” the player on the left said.

The two players gathered the money and went out the door.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” the county sheriff asked the operator of the roulette wheel.

“What was I going to do?” the operator of the roulette wheel asked, “Call the sheriff?”