One of the candidates for the office of Governor in AL
is proposing a Lottery, ostensibly to fund and support Education. Such a
proposal is ethically, morally and pragmatically bankrupt.
Wisdom
Literature, the Book of Proverbs, declares with absolute clarity that the
incorporation of such a mechanism into Social Policy is woefully lacking and
counter-productive.
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows
worthless pursuits lacks sense. (Prov. 12:11)
The
literal translation from the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Old Testament for the
final phrase in this verse, ‘lacks
sense’ is ‘has a needy or
deficient heart’, (kesar leb). The NIV translation of this
verse is ‘but he who chases fantasies
lacks judgment.’ The lottery is the quintessential fantasy and those
who fund this endeavor by purchasing lottery tickets are the least able to
afford such expenditures. The poor are enticed by this fantasy and squander
financial resources they can ill afford to waste. Waste indeed! In the end of
this game, everyone is a loser.
A 2011 paper in the Journal of Gambling Studies
conducted a thorough review of the available research on lotteries and
concluded that the “poor are still the leading patron of the lottery”[1].
The most effective means of
improving the education of children in Alabama is dedicated and involved
parents, mothers and fathers. They turn off the TV. They shut down the Video
Games. They read to and with their children. They model the vital importance of
education by daily focus, instruction and personal investment in the things
that matter most.
Buying a Lottery Ticket is indeed a
fantasy. We do not need a Governor that promotes fantasy as Public Policy. We
do need parents that invest wisely and persistently in the education and
development of their children.
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