BE OUR GUEST: GAMING MATTER OF MORALS, NOT ECONOMICS, FOR CITY

Maryanne "Miki" Gudermuth is a long-time resident of Cape Girardeau and previous contributor to this column.

It interests me that many people, including those who run profitable businesses can say that the issue of Riverboat "Gaming" is not a moral issue, but an economic one. To say Cape Girardeau's economy is suffering for jobs, when there is a 4 percent unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the state, I fail to see the problem area. I am even more disturbed that most people in Cape Girardeau discern themselves as Christians, yet many can not see the moral issue of gambling, or wish to disguise the devil as "economic development" because then maybe God won't know the difference.

But the biggest surprise of all is that many business leaders are coming out of the "gaming closet" to profess they are for riverboat gambling for economic reasons, yet many business leaders who are opposed to riverboat gambling are afraid~ to come out in opposition because they don't want this to become a "moral" issue, and to take a stand against riverboat gambling would hurt their business. I have never seen where trusting in God can cause any man to fall or fail.

Would you trust a minister who spoke the word of God, yet wore a mustard seed, a four leaf clover, or a horseshoe around their neck, or prepared his sermon after consulting a crystal ball? Would you trust your doctor if he threw salt over his shoulder before surgery, or wore a good luck charm around his neck, or consulted a Ouija board for your diagnosis or prognosis? Or would you rather your doctor pray to God for guidance and for help in treating your physical problems? Is it really "In God We Trust" as our money has stamped on it? I dare not say this is true when each dollar that is thrown onto the gaming table is thrown to "chance" and coming from someone else's hard earned pocket.

My husband and I visited a casino 12 years ago in Atlantic City. We were up there for an awards celebration given by the company my husband worked for. An associate of my husband and his wife went with us. He indicated he was playing black jack and was taking only $500 and if he blew it, that was it. I played the silver dollar slot machine because it seemed like it would pay off; I lost $10. My husband said if I lost that, that was it. But then I had some quarters, and thought I would play one quarter. Well that started paying off, and I received my $10 back and gained $2. But something made me stop playing - I watched many people, mostly women, playing not only one slot machine, but four at a time.

Covetous of their machines, they were frantically pulling the handles of the machines as if in a frenzy to win. The looks in their eyes were haunting and glassed over. It was rather scary that winning meant so much to them. But then, it really did. These people were middle aged to elderly women, dressed rather slovenly, gambling their monthly fixed incomes on the chance of improving their lot in life. The tragedy is that many were not winning.

My husband and I never left that casino at all during our stay in Atlantic City. They had all the food we needed to eat, there were shops to browse or purchase from upstairs, and they also were connected to a hotel, where accommodations were next to nothing. There was entertainment, floor shows, you name it. Why would we have to leave? Later on that same day, my husband met up with his associate and asked him how he did. He was rather pale compared to how he looked when we arrived at the casino. He admitted to my husband that he had not taken just $500 to gamble, but without his wife's knowledge, he had withdrawn $2,500 from their savings to gamble, hoping to surprise her with double that when he won. He lost the whole $2,500. We don~'t know if he ever told her, but we found out later in the year that they were getting a divorce.

My husband also has a relative who worked a gaming table in Las Vegas. She since moved to Arizona because she couldn't take it anymore. The pathetic way some of the people who lost everything they brought with them cowered over the gaming tables, begging her to give them some of their money back, because they had nothing left to go home on. They have bouncers who lead these people out so they don't make a scene and cause other gamblers to lose interest. She said that most of these people were not well to do, but regular blue collar workers, low income and persons on fixed incomes. She said they could go from table to table and nobody questioned how much they had spent already, she said they don't check for that "$500 limit" and most of the inspectors who inspect the casinos are paid off not to notice. Even their legislators are paid off not to make trouble for the casinos. She could not live with herself knowing all this was paying her salary. She quit and moved away instead.

The mob does not go by names like "Al Capone" or "John Dillinger," they go by famous names, and they make their living off of other people's back and hard earned dollars. Don~'t compare country music and crafters of Silver Dollar City in Branson~s type of entertainment with that of ~~gaming~~...it~'s not the same thing. Gambling or "gaming" is NOT family entertainment. At least in Branson, you at least have photos and good memories to show. Also, a recent Drury Inn Guide to Colorado touts the various cities and what they are known for, Cripple Creek Colorado is known for ~~gambling~~ - not how beautiful the city is, not other attractions that might be available there, only gambling. What does Cape want to be known for....greed?

For those of you who think this is NOT a moral issue, read 1 Timothy 6:6-10. In part, it says "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." Do you feel the bible is God's word, or do you hunt and pick verses that make you comfortable? If we do, in fact "Trust in God" as our money is so labeled, do you think God will bless that which we throw to the wind of CHANCE instead of trust in him to provide for all our needs. If you have doubts as to which way to vote June 8, read 1 Timothy, Chapter 6, read the whole book of Proverbs and then go to the polls to vote. If you truly "love your neighbor as thyself," if you truly believe "In God We Trust", you will vote NO on riverboat gaming, June 8th.

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