“That to me is very appropriate, to have other kinds of facilities there. I mean people have to earn a living… and so other types of development in my estimation is fine, as long as it doesn’t encroach on the battlefield itself.”

Santorum says he’s against the gaming bill altogether, adding that in the long run, it won’t be a valuable addition to any community.

Santorum Sees Economic Development, Not Casinos, as Savior of Gettysburg
Posted Friday, June 3, 2005 http://www.580whp.com/headlines.html

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I view with dismay the proposal for a large gambling casino near the historic battlefield at Gettysburg. President Abraham Lincoln said that the world can never forget the brave men who struggled on that field, but the construction of a gambling casino near the site of their epic battle would seem to indicate that our national memory has indeed dimmed.

The view that a casino dishonors the memory of those who died at Gettysburg is rooted in the policies of the National Council of Churches on gambling and public morals. More than 50 years ago, in one of its first policy statements, the National Council of Churches said:

…the so-called “innocent” forms of gambling—such as legalized race-track wagers, betting on athletic events, lotteries, bingo and the like—contribute to the weakening of the moral fiber of individuals and lower the moral tone of the community.

Our position has not changed in the intervening years. It is our view that gambling in any form contributes nothing positive to society. It offers no service, creates nothing of value, and does not improve the lives of those who participate.

We are aware of arguments by proponents that legalized gambling creates jobs. We also know there is countervailing evidence that even where jobs are created in the gambling industry, more jobs are lost elsewhere in the community as business is drawn away from already existing restaurants, hotels and places of entertainment. Job creation is desperately needed, but the jobs that are created should serve the needs of society and contribute to the well-being of workers and their families.

We also are concerned about the negative impacts we believe gambling is having on communities, such as increased crime and the cost of trying to contain it, the disruption of family life and the desperate actions of some people whose gambling debts put their lives and futures in jeopardy.

We would discourage casino construction anywhere, and feel that a casino at Gettysburg is doubly objectionable because it would detract from what should be a respectful and reflective atmosphere in this place where so many died.

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