Faith Leaders Against Slots
Hat Tip: Washington Post
Gambling Away Our Principles
Sunday, May 18, 2008; B08
It is easy to get caught up in the false promise of slots — of easy money and a quick fix to all that ails Maryland. But the simple truth is that Maryland can’t win and that Marylanders will lose if slots are legalized.
Gambling is becoming an increasingly pervasive element of American society, and legalizing slot machines in the state would be one more example of our society’s eagerness to abandon hard work and ingenuity in favor of a Band-Aid for a gaping wound. Encouraging gambling in our communities would be irresponsible and would result in lasting and irreversible harm.
Proponents of slots contend that their legalization would help finance public education. We ask: What lessons are we teaching our children? That they should throw hard-earned money away in the false hope of a big payday? Those who say slots will create revenue for the state don’t acknowledge the catastrophic ramifications of such a decision. For the state to win, the player must lose. As people of faith, we are called on to speak out to protect Maryland from the insidious vice of gambling.
As with many bad habits, playing slots can begin the downward spiral toward addiction. Those who begin to gamble with slots can find themselves craving a bigger rush and a more exciting payoff. And legalizing slots would create a new state-sanctioned industry that would take advantage of those who already struggle with addiction. What might seem like an innocent game would have negative repercussions for our entire community.
We know from experience that slot machines lead to crime and corruption and that they can destroy the fabric of our families and the foundations of our communities. And slots are an equal-opportunity predator; they do not discriminate on the basis of color, community or social and economic status.
There are those who will say that we are being alarmist. But it is our responsibility as people of faith, community leaders and role models, to act in accordance with moral principles and make the well-being of our community our first priority. As Christians, we believe that gambling, at its core, is a means of tapping in to human weakness and exploiting it for personal gain. We are proud Marylanders because we, as a people, value hard work, integrity and dedication. We know that the means of attaining our goals are as important as the ends. We do not want to live in a state that sacrifices long-held moral principles in favor of quick money.
We are better than that.
We call upon all our fellow citizens to vote against the constitutional amendment that would legalize slot machines in Maryland this November. Do not allow our government to condone a habit that capitalizes on the basest of human impulses.
We say, not in our state, and we think that the more Marylanders learn about the unintended consequences of slots, they will say so, too.
– The Rev. Jonathan Weaver (Bowie)
– The Rev. Byron P. Brought (Annapolis)
The writers are members of Marylanders United to Stop Slots.