To the editor:
Since the lottery question seems to be heating up again there are several questions I would like to ask.
In an article which appeared in our paper recently a survey showed that 76 percent of the people in North Carolina favored a lottery. Does that mean that this vast majority of our people are in favor of and support gambling? Do we want our state to become a Las Vegas or an Atlantic City?
Also, how can we be assured that most of the revenue from a lottery would be used for education, the reason we hear from most areas for having one? People are saying that our legislators would probably use as much of it as possible to fill in the gap in our budget brought about by the slow economy.
Also, do we really want our children, the hope for our future, to be educated with funds brought about by legalized gambling? If we are not willing and able to educate them through other means what does that say for our state and nation?
Some argue that our people are going to neighboring states to buy lottery tickets, which may be true. But just because other states have legalized gambling does not give our state any reason, in my opinion, to do likewise. One person said that they felt it to be a sin to neglect our children, so why not a lottery? Does replacing one sin with another really make sense, morally speaking?
It has been said that if America were ever defeated it would be from within. Hopefully, we as supposedly a Christian nation will not let that happen. Is it not each and every Christian’s duty to rise up and say "enough is enough?"
James C. Edwards,
Cokesbury
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