Playing the Lottery

On Dec. 27 you published another letter bemoaning the fact that millions of dollars go into the lottery system that could have gone toward curing some of society’s ills. Why pick on the lottery? We who support the lottery receive value for our money or we would not play. I like the idea of someone winning enough money to change his or her life in a meaningful way. On top of that, I stand an equal chance with all the other contributors to be that lucky person. To state it in other terms, the lottery gives me a feeling of altruism, and even more importantly, a feeling of hope.

If we must bemoan anything, why not bemoan the money spent on movies, concerts or sporting events. These millions of dollars support passive escapism. If some of this money were donated instead for social causes, we probably would see an improved quality of life for all people.

It is true that poor people buy more lottery tickets than do the rich. That is because the poor are in need of more hope. They can only afford to buy it $1 at a time.

JOHN SIMONS

Los Angeles