MOORESVILLE, N. C.

\SD ~'x MAR 2 9 . 5 --~-----~~-- --

To the Editor, I am writing in response to

your editorial on Feb. 8, sup-porting legalized gambling in North Carolina. Legalized gambling in North Carolina would be detrimental to the well being of the citizens of our state and should be opposed by every individual interested in the quality of life in our beautiful state .

You made two points in the editorial that are good. State government leaders should confront the issue now and public opinion favors less gov-ernment in our lives. However, I disagree with your reason for urging legislative action. To suggest that the leg-islature must approve legal-ized gambling so we can have it on our own terms rather than on terms mandated by a federal judge presupposes such an action is forth coming. To enact such significant legis-lation based on speculation would be unwise.

Another implication in the editorial mentioned that our present laws against gambling restrict private enterprise . I disagree. The present laws protect our people from the ultimate assault on private enterprise-a state run monop-oly of gambling. That would put the state in direct compe-tition with business for the consumer dollar. What would have been spent on goods and services that provide for a sound economy would be lost to the gambling enterprise.

In California, the Holiday Food Store chain sold 1.8 mil-lion dollars in lottery tickets during the first six months

after the state lottery was approved. During that same period of time their grocery sales dropped 1.8 million dol-lars. Lost profit. Lost produc-tivity. The chain stopped sell-ing lottery tickets. It was bad business. State run gambling is not pro-business. Rather, 1t is an example of government intrusion into the lives of its citizens.

The editorial also implied that North Carolina is "behind the times" if we attempt to leg-islate morality (indicating that you can't legislate moral-ity). On the contrary, you can legislate morality. The ques-tion is whose morality will you legislate? Another question that could be asked, is state run gambling good public poli-cy? Certainly not.

Coy Privette, Executive Director of the N.C. Christian Action Leligue and former state legislator in a Charlotte Observer article Feb. 9, 1993 quotes the Louisville Courier Journal on lottery and public policy: "When states hustle sweepstakes tickets, when they shamelessly tell poor and rich alike to blow their money in lotteries, governments are no longer neutral about morals ... Rather than promot-ing the best interests of their citizens, they are encouraging the worst."

The role of government is to restrain evil not promote it. Where state sponsored ~am-bling occurs crime increases. Privette also quotes former FBI director, William Webster, who said: "I really don't see how one can expect to run legalized gambling anywhere

without serious problems-fraudulent tickets, counterfeit lottery processes. Any time organized crime sees an opportunity to put a fix on something to get an edge on something, it'll be there. And gambling is still the largest source of revenue for orga-nized crime."

Another point I make about state sponsored gambling is that it is a rip-off of people who can least afford to throw away their money. It is in effect a regressive tax that exploits the vulnerable citi-zens on the lower end of the economic scale. The Presidentidl Commission on the Review of the National Policy Toward Gambling con-cluded: "The lottery is one of the more regressive forms of gambling ... ". The m~mey for the lottery comes most from those who can least afford it, worsening their conditions and making them more depen-dent on aid from the taxpay-ers.•

In summary, state-spon-sored gambling is bad public policy, it is harmful to the per-sonal lives o citizens, it pro-motes crime, it competes with business, and it is destructive to the quality of life in our state. It undermines values, mocks work, finances crime, robs children, enslaves addicts and subverts government's purpose. Legalized gambling is a bad bet for the citizens of North Carolina!

Robert Jackson Paswi-

Peninsula Baptist

I'

flll13UNE MOORESVILLE, N. C.

MAY 31 95 l,;Toss vOUil TI'T-" u,r111 iYJ:os~ . Devil Awara • c1onn ray s or.

P5ID:s::n.~~:.~~::~~~:e:~~:~ Pen~ula Baptist Church, locat- the Southern Baptiat ed on Brawley School Road in Convention . Mooresville, recently received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Liberty Baptist Seminary in I.qnchburg, VA.

Past.or Jackson has been at Peninsula since 1983 and has seen the church grow from 55 charter members t.o the present membership of 560.

I The church has ministry pro-grams for every age group. The church staff includes a full time

. Minister of Music and Senior ; Adults, as well as a full time

I Minister of Education and Youth.

Peninsula io presently in the . planning stage of constructing additional worship and educa-tion space.

The church is affiliated with the South Yadkin Baptist

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/ CLIPPING SERVICE

1115 HILLSBORO RALEIGH, NC 27603 (!; TEL. (919) 833-2079

MECf{LH~BUftG GAZZEl DA ViDSON, N. C.

- 3 9 6

Q qr -~ -Dr. Robert Jackson Senior Pastor, Peninsula Baptist Church Deninsula Baptist Church began in 1982 as a mission C of Southside Baptist in Mooresville. The church called Robert Jackson to serve as its pastor in 1983. Dr. Jackson is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (BA), Southeas t Baptist Theological Seminary (M.D.V.), and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (D.MIN.) He and his wife, Linda, have three daughters: Whitney, a senior at Mooresville High; Ivey, 8th grader at Mooresville Middle and Ashley, 3rd grader at South Elementary School. Lind a hold!! a Mast er Degree from the University of South Carolina and teaches at South

Elementary School. The church , located on Brawley School Rd.,

provides a broad range of ministry to the community. It has served as a site sponsor for the Mooresville YMCA and has hosted public hearings for the Brawley School Road Land Development Planning Board. The church I also hosts the Precept Bible 1

Study and an Adoption Support Group. Other min .. · istries include: intercessory prayer, small group Bible study, youth activities, chil-dren 's ministries, choir, orchestra, missions involve-ment, Senior Adults and Christian fellowship.