Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 25, 1993 TAG: 9302250374
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN PUGH
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ECONOMIC INSTABILITY FEEDS GAMBLING BUG
IN GEORGE Will's column Feb. 9, "Gambling with the national character," he contends that gambling weakens the national character, making people much more prone to try to achieve their financial goals through false hopes of instant riches rather than through their own effort, initiative and perseverance. But what Will doesn't see is the social and economic forces that have brought so many people to come to rely on sheer chance for their "ticket out."Take one of today's average American workers. Call him Joe Smith and say that he works for Acme Widgets. If not having been laid off himself, Joe has undoubtedly seen many deserving co-workers lopped from the payroll because of company "downsizing." He sees such icons as General Motors, IBM and Sears closing various plants and operations and discharging tens of thousands of workers all over the country. In his own hometown, he has seen major employers go out of business altogether.
If he has been laid off, it has usually been with nothing more than a form-letter notice and a meager severance check. If he has been retained, it is usually to work harder, longer and under more demanding conditions - at the same salary. He sees not even the slightest hint of loyalty, appreciation or personal concern from his employer, whose only thought is the almighty bottom line, regardless of the human consequences. Indeed, most employers won't hesitate to ship jobs overseas simply because labor can be had for a pittance in Third World countries.
After pondering these numbing circumstances, is it any wonder that ol' Joe begins to question his years of loyal, dedicated service to dear old Acme? Any wonder that he begins to doubt the veracity of the American work ethic? Any wonder that he begins to question the whole idea of the American Dream? Having reached this state of mind, what does Joe do? Horror of horrors, he either buys a lottery ticket, goes out for a night of bingo, or takes off for Atlantic City or Las Vegas to try his luck at the dice tables. And then he picks up the newspaper and reads where Will reams him out for his "weak" character.
The real weakness in this country is and has been a weakness of board-room management, which has mismanaged many former stalwart companies to the brink of collapse - heartlessly throwing millions of Joe Smiths out on the street through no fault of their own. And yet the managers themselves always seem to bail out with golden parachutes - another common occurrence ol' Joe can't help but notice and resent.
The way to stop the increasing growth of legalized, even state-sponsored gambling is:
To give the Joe Smiths of our country the assurance that their work and effort, their diligence and conscientiousness, their talents and abilities will be rewarded by appreciative, concerned employers.
To ensure that they have a personal stake both in the enterprise for which they work and in an overall prosperous economy.
To ensure that their future rests on their own virtues and not on the ridiculously slim chance that from an almost incalculable number of combinations they can pick three or four digits in correct sequence.
In short, give Smith a decent job at a decent salary, give him a decent life with hope for an even better future, and give him the pride and satisfaction that come from being recognized, appreciated and properly compensated for a job well done. And the way he will then use his money will reflect his new mind-set. He will use it to build his savings, to invest in various worthy enterprises and to make the purchases of goods and services that provide stable, meaningful employment to others. He won't be throwing it away in a bingo parlor or on a lottery ticket as he increasingly does now.
Will can then call that "weakness" if he wants to. But the real weakness should be understood and the real blame put where it belongs.
John Pugh is a free-lance writer who lives in Roanoke.