LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: GAMBLING BRINGS TRAGEDY

To the Editor:Throughout the years my family and I regarded recreational gambling as an acceptable form of entertainment. A painful experience has changed my mind.

Growing up near a maor gambling city, I'd often heard stories of excessive betting and the trouble individual experience as a result. I could not relate to their experience.. I was sure that problems blamed on gambling were merely the results of weak personalities, alternative lifestyles.

A relative of mine, who had spent most of his/her adult life in Missouri decided to eek employment in anther state. In a short period of time this unemployed fifty year old could be found frequentlng restaurants, health clubs and bowling alleys looklng for job contacts. Unfortunately, all these otherwise wholesome businesses allowed some form of gambling. A viciou unending circle began of bet some - win some - bet again - lose more.

A phone call revealed that this individual was being arrested for bad chsck writing. With banking accounts and credit cards exhausted, thi individual lost their dignity along with all of his/her personal posessions. All the result of innocent gambling,This i8 not the picture our ociety accepts as reality for a white wonder bread mid-wetern family, but then society apparently doesn't want to accept that gambling knows no social economic boundaries. I urge those of you who value a productive society to vote N0 on riverboat gambling.

I leave you with a quetion, are you prepared for the responsibility of a YEI; vote.

LYNDA TRONCAL

Perryville