LET'S GET RID OF ALL GAMBLING AND ADDICTIVE THINGS

In reference to the article on the front page of The Daily Mountain Eagle's
Feb. 21, 2002, issue, where some religious and moral people are getting a
petition up to rid the county of the arcades, I say let us also get rid of
all gambling and other things that are addictive. How about the bingo that
is allowed at some organizations in Walker County.

We should also consider the fall festivals that some schools have each
year. They have bingo games, cakewalks and wheel of fortune type games.
This is gambling and it usually takes money from children. We could also do
away with the football season. All this is gambling.

If the arcades are addictive what about smoking, drinking and drugs. Let us
make all of this illegal and drive it from our county. We will just send
the arcade customers, the smokers and the drinkers into adjoining counties
that have what they are willing to spend their money on. We send enough
money to Georgia, Florida and Mississippi on their casinos and lottery.

The city of Jasper has succeeded in driving the arcades away. Why is it
legal to buy alcohol in Jasper, but not in the rest of the county?

By the way, I do not drink, smoke or gamble.

Why isn't there a GREAT public outcry from our religious and moral leaders
about illegal drugs? Drugs have done more harm and damage to our society
and young people; more damage than drinking, smoking, gambling, sex or any
other thing you could ever imagine.

Charles W. (Bill) Hatcher