Billboards are up, preachers are preaching, television spots are running, ads of some form are popping up all over. The good residents of Tennessee will soon be given the opportunity to vote for, or against, a state lottery.
I haven’t yet figured out why this is a matter of debate. For some reason, certain folks aren’t happy unless they are forcing opinions on others. I have no interest in telling anyone how or when to spend money. I have no interest in telling anyone how or what they should think. I do, however, feel perfectly comfortable sharing my own opinions…agree or disagree, that’s fine with me.
If a lottery becomes a legal reality, what is it that so many people are afraid of? Did the gangs of plastic duck racing fanatics damage the personal lives of the Baptists and Methodists by donating personal funds to a worthy nonprofit?
I realize that legitimate questions have arisen regarding the usage of funds raised via the lottery but that is a secondary issue. The issue is the right to make your own decisions. Nobody will be forced to buy lottery tickets. Nobody will be forced to donate $2 to watch a little plastic duck float around a bit in stale water.
I’ve often heard the statement that a lottery is a tax on the poor. If the poor can afford to purchase a lottery ticket then they have the right to buy one. The lottery ticket can serve as a fairly cheap escape from reality, allowing the owner to briefly escape reality by thinking of better days – similar to a movie ticket, but the movie ticket simply costs more and nobody ever leaves the theatre with millions of dollars they didn’t go in with.
I say bring on the lottery. I’ll never purchase a ticket, but it would be nice to know that someone didn’t decide for me that I shouldn’t have the right to do so. I don’t have any tattoos either, but it sure feels good to know that I could get one if the urge strikes.