ILCAAAP News, July 2008, Volume 71, No. 2

Protecting Children - Opposing Gambling Expansion

By Laura Dean F. Friedrich

You are standing at the intersection of faith and politics, and that's a good place! Please listen to these words from the gospel of Matthew 15:21-28.

"And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.' But Jesus did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, 'Send her away, for she is crying out after us.' Jesus answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.' And Jesus answered, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed instantly."

Clearly this Canaanite woman cares deeply for her daughter, a child afflicted with a terrible disease. This mother knows that Jesus has the power to heal her daughter, and she goes to him and asks for help. Obviously, she does not have an easy time. First, Jesus ignores her. Then the disciples try to get rid of her. Jesus tells her that he did not come for the likes of her. But she persists. Jesus again refuses to help her, but she argues with him. And, finally, Jesus relents. He changes his mind, and he heals the daughter.

All parents have two major responsibilities with regard to their children: care and protection. Parents must care for their children and meet their basic needs, e.g., food, clothing, shelter, nurture. Parents must also keep their children safe. The Canaanite woman cared deeply for her child, but she could not protect her from the disease that threatened her life. Gambling is like that child's disease. Gambling can have a devastating effect on the lives of children.

On occasion, there have been a number of newspaper accounts of parents who have left their children in cars or in the outer rim of casinos while they were in the casino gambling.

We are outraged by such reports, but I believe that gambling also poses other, significant risks to the well being of children:

There are no clocks in casinos. Parents and guardians who go to casinos to gamble while their children are in school may keep gambling long after school has ended for the day. They may quite simply "forget" to come home because they are consumed with gambling. Their children are left to fend for themselves in an empty house or on the street.

As the economy continues to worsen, we are likely to have an increase in the number of parents who gamble in pursuit of the "big win" to solve their financial problems. Most of these parents will, of course, lose far more than they will win. In 1999, 6.7 million patrons lost an average of $61.97 per visit to a riverboat. In 2006 16.1 million gambling patrons lost an average of $118.88 per visit. Many of those "losers" were parents.

In addition, the National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that children suffer a higher risk of abuse since problem gambling by their parents creates heightened stress and tension in their daily lives. Parents addicted to gambling often experience harassment and threats of bill collectors and creditors, increased family conflict and the extra financial burden of repaying debts. The children of these families suffer. Such parents, regardless of their love for their children, are unable to give their sons and daughters the full measure of attention and nurturing that their children need.

At this point, parents and guardians must make a conscious choice to gamble. They have to get in their cars and drive to a casino. But, if the IL General Assembly approves Internet gambling, parents won't have to leave home. They'll be able to gamble more often and for longer periods of time. They may be physically present in their homes, but they'll be emotionally and psychologically absent from their responsibilities as parents and caregivers. Their children will not receive the care and protection that they must have to grow and develop into healthy, intelligent and stable human beings. In addition, these children will also be exposed - early in their young lives - to the dangers of gambling and addiction.

When you talk with your legislators, I hope you will keep in mind the extraordinary example of the Canaanite woman. All of us must gird ourselves with this mother's strength and courage and persistence as we advocate for our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, our neighbors' children, the young people in our churches. Like the Canaanite woman, we must:

In other words, in the pursuit of justice and the common good, we must speak truth to power. That's what the Canaanite woman did. That's what we must do! Gambling is bad public policy. Gambling is not a just way to solve our state's financial problems. Gambling is bad for children. Speak truth to power!

Laura Dean F. Friedrich, Director of Education and Advocacy at Protestants for the Common Good www.thecommongood.org, gave this speech at the ILCAAAP Rally on May 8, 2008.

Staff Activities

In order to give our readers an idea of how and where their donations are allocated, some of our activities are listed on this here.

Anita Bedell presented the Community Prevention Award to Danny Hicks at the Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking on April 3, 2008. Danny works in the Injury Prevention Program at SIU School of Medicine and received the award for his outstanding service in raising awareness about the impact of teen alcohol use.

ILCAAAP Teen Board members give a presentation at Camp Care-A-Lot in Springfield. Call 877-204-6863 to schedule a performance for youth groups, camps, and summer programs.

Randall Blakley from Citizens for our Community in Lansing, spoke at the ILCAAAP Faith, Family, & Future Rally at the Capitol on May 8. Randall shared how activists and churches work together to oppose a casino in their community. Other speakers included Rev. Tom Grey and Prof. John Kindt.

(L to R) Anita Bedell, ILCAAAP Executive Director, Pastor Shaughneysy Small, Dr. Maryam Mostoufi, and Rev. Harry Deffley represented Citizens for Voter Choice at a press conference at the Capitol asking Legislators to respect the voters in Sangamon County and reject gambling expansion at the State Fairgrounds (HB 4758).


2008 Poster Contest Winners

Savings Bonds Awarded:
1st Prize - $200, 2nd Prize - $100, 3rd Prize - $75, 4th Prize - $50

  • 1st Place - Michelle Schultz - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School
  • 2nd Place - Amber Fouts - Fairfield Community High School
  • 3rd Place - Hailey Bowen - Marshall Junior High
  • 4th Place - Katelyn Charlton - St. Agnes School, Springfield

Individual School Winners Received a Certificate of Achievement and ILCAAAP Slingpack

  • Hillary Young - New Hope School, Fairfield
  • Tiffany Adams - West Salem Grade School
  • Katelyn Baker - Fairfield Community H. S.
  • Haley Mason - Virden Middle School
  • Sunnisha Murray - Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Chicago
  • Karen Olson - Woodhouse Grove Home School, Springfield
  • Britanny Eads - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley H.S.
  • Logan Cannady - Marshall Junior High
  • Abby Sables - 6th grade, Paige Brinker - 7th grade, Briana Cummins - 8th grade - Blessed Sacrament School, Springfield
  • Glen McClain - 7th grade, Brigid Cavanagh - 8th grade - St. Agnes School, Springfield

Legislation Highlights

SB 2231 Makes Alcohol more Accessible at Illinois Schools and Colleges

SB 2231 changes the Illinois Vehicle Code to allow alcohol on chartered buses used for school purposes. This law would apply to all schools! There are no safeguards against underage drinking. The unintended consequences could be an increase in drinking and driving, violence, sexual harassment, and underage drinking.

SB 2231 also allows the Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois, with approval of the Office of the Chancellor, to serve or sell alcohol for "public events" at all three campuses-Champaign-Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield. A lobbyist for the U of I stated they would like to serve/sell alcohol in the Sky Boxes at the new stadium and for concerts in the Assembly Hall. We are concerned the University will also allow alcohol sales at professional sporting events played at campus fields.

SB 2231 also allows alcohol to be delivered and sold at Triton College and at a restaurant and food serve at Kennedy King College Campus in Chicago. SB 2231 makes alcohol more accessible and available at college campuses at a time when underage drinking, college drinking, and binge drinking are already causing health and safety problems. A freshman at Northwestern University recently died from drinking alcohol.

Call the Governor (800-642-3112) and ask him to Amendatorily Veto all the language in SB 2231 that makes alcohol more accessible at Illinois schools and colleges.

State Construction Projects tied to Gambling Expansion

Funding for the Governor's Illinois Works program increased from $25 billion to $34 billion during the final days of the Legislative session. The Senate linked gambling expansion bills with the capital construction program and passed the package full of "pet" projects on the last day of session. Now politicians at every level are "lobbying" the public to put pressure on the House to pass this gambling expansion scheme.

While voters approved the Lottery to fund education, HB 1496 would authorize the State to lease 80% of the Lottery for 50-65 years, with 70% of the money for construction projects and 30% for education. A private company would be allowed to increase the number of Lottery vendors in poor communities by 10% and further exploit the poor.

A mega gambling bill to triple the amount of gambling in Illinois is also linked to the construction bill. HB 2651 would legalize 3 more casinos--a city-owned casino in Chicago and a state-owned casino, each with 4,000 gambling positions and one in an economically depressed area. Horse racing would be legalized on the Internet and racetracks would have electronic and video slots, electronic poker and table games, and further expansion at Illinois casinos.

The amount of "upfront" cash for leasing the Lottery was cut in half to $5 billion. The Common School Fund would receive $600 million a year, which is $50 million less than it currently receives. The amount of revenue was further reduced $71 million by lowering the price for tracks and casinos to purchase slot machines. How will the construction projects and education be funded if the revenue and expected dividends are reduced?

Remember the $12 billion capital construction bill that was passed in 1999 and tied to gambling expansion? Some of the school districts are still waiting for the money they were promised from Illinois FIRST! Don't be fooled again!

Learn from the Mistakes of California - Reject Marijuana as Medicine (SB 2865)

SB 2865 allows an unlimited number of medical marijuana organizations (dispensaries). These could result in huge growing operations in neighborhoods statewide, similar to what has happened in California. The similarities between the Illinois bill (SB 2865) and California law are troubling.

The medical marijuana law in California has provided legal cover for large-scale, big money marijuana growers. The New York Times article of June 9, stated that dozens of local governments have banned or restricted cannabis clubs, more formally known as dispensaries, that provide medical marijuana, in the face of public safety issues involved in its sale and cultivation, including crime and environmental damage.

Los Angeles, which has more than 180 registered marijuana clubs, the most of any city, also declared a moratorium last year, according to the New York Times. "There were a handful initially and then all of a sudden, they started to sprout up all over," said Dennis Zine, a member of the Los Angeles City Council. "We had marijuana facilities next to high schools and there were high school kids going over there and there was a lot of abuse taking place."

Marijuana use by healthy youth and adults is at epidemic levels in California. According to the California Police Chiefs Association, "One of the claims supporting passage of the ballot initiative was that marijuana would be used by cancer and glaucoma patients, by those persons with such horrible medical conditions that nothing but marijuana would give them relief. Experience shows that very few of those participating in medical marijuana fit this seriously, chronically ill category." Virtually, anyone in California can obtain a physician's recommendation to use marijuana, even children.

In addition, sick people--who begin to smoke or use marijuana as medicine--could be denied organ transplants. The unintended consequences of SB 2865 could be a matter of life or death.

Alcohol Abuse and Prescription Drug Abuse

Men and women with alcohol use disorders are 18 times more likely to report nonmedical use of prescription drugs than people who don't drink at all, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Dr. Sean Esteban McCabe and colleagues documented this link in two NIDA-funded studies; they also discovered that young adults were most at risk for concurrent or simultaneous abuse of both alcohol and prescription drugs.

"The message of these studies is that clinicians should conduct thorough drug use histories, particularly when working with young adults," says Dr. McCabe. "Clinicians should ask patients with alcohol use disorders about nonmedical use of prescription drugs and in turn ask nonmedical users of prescription medications about their drinking behaviors." The authors also recommend that college staff educate students about the adverse health outcomes associated with using alcohol and prescription medications at the same time.

When alcohol and prescription drugs are used simultaneously, severe medical problems can result, including alcohol poisoning, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and sometimes death. In addition, college students who drank and took prescription drugs simultaneously were more likely than those who did not to blackout, vomit, and engage in other risky behaviors such as drunk driving and unplanned sex.

The researchers found that the more alcohol a person drank and the younger he or she started drinking, the more likely he or she was to report nonmedical use of prescription drugs.

Dr. McCabe emphasizes that many people who simultaneously drink alcohol and use prescription medications have no idea how dangerous the interactions between these substances can be. "Passing out is a protective mechanism that stops people from drinking when they are approaching potentially dangerous blood alcohol concentrations," he explains. "But if you take stimulants when your drink, you can potentially override this mechanism and this could lead to life-threatening consequences."

Reprinted with permission from Morning Report, Volume 32 Number 11, June 9, 2008

Most Binge Drinking Takes Place in Public, Involves Beer

About half of all binge drinking takes place in public and in large groups, increasing the risk of injury, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Beer is the drink of choice in two-thirds of binge-drinking episodes, said CDC epidemiologist Timothy Naimi, M.D., and alcohol typically is easily available at such events, even to underage drinkers.

"Overall, 12 percent of binge drinkers reported driving during or soon after binge drinking, meaning they were risking injury or death not only for themselves but also their passengers, other drivers and pedestrians," said Naimi.

Naimi reported the results of his research at a meeting of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.

Reprinted with permission from Join Together, June 10, 2008

Family History of Alcoholism May Predict Adult Alcohol Use Disorders

Researcher Christy Capone of Brown University's Center for Alcohol an Addiction Studies and colleagues compared drinking rates of college-age adults to the density of family history of alcoholism --the number of alcoholics in their whole family, not just a mother or father.

Individuals whose first- or second-degree relatives had a history of alcoholism were at greater risk of drinking problems themselves, and researchers said many of these cases would have been missed if researchers had only looked at immediate family history of alcoholism.

"The greater the number of affected relatives, the greater the potential risk of developing an Alcohol-Use Disorder," said Capone.

The study was published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Reprinted from Join Together, June 6, 2008

Churches Giving to ILCAAAP/Illinois Churches in Action

March 11, 2008 thru June 18, 2008

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Donations of $100 or more

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To Help The Living


In Memory of
Albert Grant
by
Josephine C. Elsen

In Honor of
Sister Pauletta Overbeck
by
Anonymous

In Memory of
Rev Williard Foote
by
Charlotte Foote

"with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26

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