Back when I was an elementary school student (1953 - 1958) we used to have a Halloween Party at my school. Back then, you could still have Halloween parties, you did not have to call them Fall Festivals and everyone could go, even the kids that went to the local Baptist church. About the same time every year, if I remember correctly it was usually after Halloween but before Thanksgiving, we had a Bingo party. Everyone could play. I remember the excitement I experienced the first time I bingoed. I won a Lane cake, a real Lane cake made with real Bourbon whiskey. I know it was because I still remember the lady that made it coming up and telling my mama how much she used. Fast forward to today and show me the elementary school in Central Alabama where you can go and play bingo and win a real Lane cake, especially if you are a student at that school.
What got me to thinking about all this was this article I just read on Al.com. There has been a whole lot of talk lately about Bingo in the state of Alabama, accusations made and countered, court cases, news broadcasts, media articles, etc. I have to ask myself, is Bingo or any other kind of gambling really the biggest problem this state has? Does it really deserve the attention it is getting?
I pretty much keep to myself. I don't belong to any local organizations, don't go to any of the churches and my child is long since grown so I don't have any reason to hang around schools, but I do read the occasional paper, overhear conversations in the grocery store or Walmart and sometimes I will talk to folks I'm standing in line with at a fast food restaurant. Based on what I am seeing and hearing, we have a lot of folks in Alabama that are hurting. Times are rough, people are out of work, more adults and children are going hungry. In my humble opinion, the self righteous hypocrites in this state who are so concerned about whether or not someone is going to a Halloween party or playing Bingo on a machine some where could better spend their time addressing the real needs of the state and its people.
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