I have a pet peeve. I see the whole gaming industry as destructive to our culture. I see a government we elected to lead, turn their backs on protecting the people, and instead milking the poor and middle class by giving them something they want. In return, the government receives tax dollars that rightly should have been used for food, medical needs, and retirement savings.
Several years ago Bill Bennett admitted a gambling problem. His defense was that he never gambled with “milk” money. It was always money he could afford to lose.
I would like to tell Mr. Bennett, “Even if you win just once, thousands of others lose, and they are losing ‘milk’ money. You are taking advantage of the people you pledged to serve when you were the Secretary of Education.”
We read heartbreaking stories on a regular basis of those who have been caught in the clutches of a gambling addiction. The gambling road is a wide path of tantalizing destruction.
Bill Bennett was saying, “I can handle it.” I would like to hear him tell that to the addict who has lost their savings, their credit, their home, and sometimes even their family.
Where does my responsibility to my community begin and end? “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Biblical answer is yes!
Several years ago Bill Bennett admitted a gambling problem. His defense was that he never gambled with “milk” money. It was always money he could afford to lose.
I would like to tell Mr. Bennett, “Even if you win just once, thousands of others lose, and they are losing ‘milk’ money. You are taking advantage of the people you pledged to serve when you were the Secretary of Education.”
We read heartbreaking stories on a regular basis of those who have been caught in the clutches of a gambling addiction. The gambling road is a wide path of tantalizing destruction.
Bill Bennett was saying, “I can handle it.” I would like to hear him tell that to the addict who has lost their savings, their credit, their home, and sometimes even their family.
Where does my responsibility to my community begin and end? “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Biblical answer is yes!
2 comments:
Agreed. Jen and I ate at a casino one time because they had super-cheap food, but we later decided not to do that again. Even though the casino was losing money on us, we don't want to benefit from other peoples' addictions.
Similarly, I refuse to shop at Pawn shops as much of their merchandise comes from theives, or irresponsible people who did not budget correctly and feel the need to sell their posessions for pennies on the dollar to buy something else they probably do not need at all. I can't imagine there are many appropriate uses for pawn shops.
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