Gambling In The United States Essays - Gambling In The United States

Gambling In The United States Essays - Gambling In The United States Gambling in the United States In the last year Americans have wagered $482 billion dollars in the United States. Over eighty-five percent of this wagering took place in casinos which are now legal in twenty-seven states. In the past decade there has been incredible growth in the gambling industry. Twenty years ago if a person wanted to gamble they had to go to Nevada. Nowadays, there are only six states in which no form of legalized gambling exists. Proponents of the gambling industry feel that this growth is a good thing a nd that it is helping the national economy. However, there are many opponents that feel that gambling is hurting families and society. Indeed, there needs to be a limit to the growth of the gambling industry, although, this industry does have some merit s they don't outweigh the costs to society. Proponents of the gaming industry insist that gambling is good clean fun, and that so many people enjoying something can't be wrong. In fact, proponents are quick to point out that fun is not the only issue; in addition, these new casinos have created thousands of jobs. Furthermore, not only have casinos created new jobs, but there has been an increase in tax revenue for the cities that have casinos. Indeed, the increase in tax revenues has helped to rebuild some rundown inner cities and river fronts areas. These people argue there is little reason to worry about gambling as most people will only lose a small amount of money and will have a fun time losing it. However, opponents insist that most of the jobs created are low paying and offer little opportunity for the worker to progress. Furthermore, the creation of these casino jobs have taken away jobs from other areas of the economy. For inezce, restaurants near casinos are being forced out of business by the cheep buffets that casinos offer to draw people in. Many people argue that casinos have not created any significant increases in the number of jobs. Some analysis's point to a four percent growth in areas with legalized gambling this is nearly the same as the rest of the nation. Additionally, it seems that most of the business for these new casinos is coming from the surrounding areas bringing in few tourists. Consequently, there is no real growth and all this doe s is move money around in the same economy. Indeed, many of the people that are spending their money gambling are the same people that can least afford to lose it. For inezce, the lottery is most heavily advertised in poor neighborhoods where it is advertised as a way out of poverty. Opponents feel that gambling is like a tax on the poor. The poor, those making under ten thousand a year, are spending more money in proportion to their income than any other group. These people, who can least afford it, are spending money on a dream. The proliferation of casinos and legalized gambling promotes the dream of "striking it rich" rather than the tried and true methods of achievement, education and hard work. Proponents may argue that gambling is fun, but with this fun comes many problems to society; wherever there is a large amount of money and alcohol there is going to be crime. Indeed, whenever casinos move into an area so do criminals. Opponents say that in most cases where casinos have been built the crime rate has risen. The rise in crime has cost cities money they have to hire more police officers and build jails. However, this is not the only cost to society, for example, gambling can take a heavy toll on the family. Most people can spend a small amount of money on gambling and then quit, but there are a subeztial number of people that can't control their gambling. To these people gambling is an addiction that can't be controlled and has been compared to alcoholism. In a survey of gamblers anonymous, twenty-six percent said they had been divorced or separated because of gambling; thirty-four percent had lost or quit a job; twenty-one percent had filed for bankruptcy; sixty-six percent had contemplated suicide, and sixteen percent had attempted suicide.

Is Trying lying And are you truly committed to your New Years resolutions

Is Trying lying And are you truly committed to your New Years resolutions A good friend of mine recently sent me his New Year’s resolutions: #1    Be here now. #2    Keep it real. #3    Try to answer e-mail promptly. I was taken aback by #3.   First, it was the only one that required specific action, and I wondered why he would choose returning e-mails above all the other important actions to take in this world, and over a more general commitment to â€Å"Keep in close and regular contact with people important to me† or â€Å"Take action quickly on items of importance.† Even more than that, however, I was struck by the insertion of the word â€Å"Try.† Is Trying Lying? I have spent the last 10 years or so reducing the incidence of the word â€Å"try† in my spoken and written communications.   In a women’s empowerment program I was taught, â€Å"Trying is lying.† In a completely different seminar, the instructor had someone hold a tissue box in the air and said, â€Å"Try to drop the tissue box.† The person dropped the tissue box, and was met with, â€Å"No, you just dropped the tissue box. I told you to try to drop the tissue box.†Ã‚   In another seminar, a different instructor did the same exercise, asking a participant to â€Å"Try to pick up that chair.†Ã‚   Trying to pick it up looked like holding on to the chair and pretending to pick it up but not actually doing it. â€Å"Trying† to do something, as illustrated in these examples, is as good as not doing the thing at all.   You’re not doing it, and you’re not not doing it.   Trying leaves you in an in-between place that, in my understanding, is ultimately powerless and ineffective. Excuses, Excuses We as human beings often use trying as an excuse.   Have you gotten that project done?   â€Å"No†¦ but I tried!   I just kept getting distracted.†Ã‚   Have you lost the weight you said you would?   â€Å"No†¦Ã‚   but I tried.†Ã‚   Why isn’t your relationship going the way you want it to?   â€Å"I don’t know†¦Ã‚   I’m trying so hard to make it work.†   We say things like â€Å"I’ll try to be there on time† so that if we’re not on time we haven’t broken a promise.   We human beings are so sneaky! Ultimately, a choice is required.   Either you do it or you don’t.   If you don’t do it, I believe the most powerful stance is to take responsibility that you didn’t do it.   If you’re still committed to a result, then do something else that works to get that result.   As another wise person pointed out, the way to attain any goal in life is to keep taking action until you achieve it.   Sounds so simple doesn’t it? Compassion is Key My New Year’s resolution friend disagreed with my take on trying.   He wrote, â€Å"I affirm the importance of stating, ‘I will try.’   Its like saying, ‘I intend.’   It sends a message to myself and others about how I am organizing my spiritual energies.†Ã‚   When I asked why he didn’t write â€Å"Try† for his other resolutions, he responded, â€Å"†¦ Its the only one of the three that doesnt come to me naturally.   So I must try harder.   :-)†Ã‚   (He also mentioned that if following #3 were to contradict #1 and/or #2, he would choose not to follow #3.   We have all seen the negative consequences of impulsive or compulsive e-mailing!) I understand the value of compassion, and I understand that we sometimes go through stages in our level of commitment to a goal.   Perhaps a gentle entry (like a promise to â€Å"try†) can be useful for taking on promises we don’t know if we will keep.   Certainly, if we don’t meet one of our promises, it doesn’t help to beat ourselves up about it.   Using the word â€Å"try† lets us succeed even when we fail.   But can’t we have compassion even if we frame our promises as absolute?   If I resolve to â€Å"answer e-mail promptly† instead of to â€Å"try† to do so, and then I don’t answer promptly, I might be empowered by acknowledging that I didn’t do it, looking at why I didn’t do it, and, if appropriate, making a new promise or doing it a different way next time.   To me, that’s â€Å"keeping it real.† Honesty The Best Policy New Year’s resolutions are notoriously not kept, and I wonder if the reason is that people put a silent, implied â€Å"Try† before every one of them.   If we truly resolve to do something, rather than to try to do it, we live a more powerful life and one where results will show up with more reliability. At least my friend put â€Å"try† where it could be seen, instead of pretending something was true that was not.   A straightforward acknowledgement of one’s tendency toward fallibility might be more powerful than having â€Å"trying† live in the unsaid.   At least with an honest promise, there’s room to grow.   In the end, we must each choose the language and intention that work for us, in service of living up to our greatest promises and resolutions. Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 9, 2012 6 Comments Ann says: January 10, 2012 at 9:41 am I think the word try is related to the word willing. I know that I am willing to do something, but that I may not get it done. Then I work at it again being willing to succeed. Usually I reserve willing for those great big promises where I hope that every time I fail, at least in my heart I was on the right road and that I am willing to keep working at it. I admit I failed. Being willing doesnt excuse me from admitting that. But I keep the intent. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 10, 2012 at 11:25 am Thank you Ann. So often people make resolutions but are not actually willing to follow through on them! Willingness seems to be a necessary foundation for carrying through on any promise. If we are not willing, we will not do it. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 10, 2012 at 11:43 am Yoda is a wise dude! Log in to Reply Fadl Isa says: January 11, 2012 at 2:29 pm Thanks for reminding me of the quote! Log in to Reply Penelope J. says: January 10, 2012 at 1:44 pm Youre right. Trying do something is not the same as an intention. However, rather than lying, the word trying weakens a resolution and leaves a loophole. Ill try to lose weight if I can/if the stars are aligned in my favor/if it isnt too hard/if I dont have too many temptations/if things go well for me, etc. That said, better to try to have a goal or a resolution than to have none at all. At least, theres an awareness that something has to be done. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 10, 2012 at 2:24 pm Yes, trying leaves room for a lot of if statements! Seems like were aligned on this one 🙂 Log in to Reply