OPINION: On schools, casinos

Over the years, I have noticed that the states that have the lowest rated schools seem to have the mining companies, and I could not help but wonder if this is on purpose. If a person gets a good enough education that they can make more money other than mining, I am guessing that is what they would choose to do. Could this be why Idaho is rated so low on education?

CASINOS:

As I understand it, a federal law prevents Native Americans from having businesses that compete with other businesses. Keep in mind that many years ago, as we kept taking their land, and putting them on reservations, then moving them to other reservations when we wanted THAT land too, they were supposed to eventually DIE.

We purposely did not feed or clothe them the way we promised, and different tribes were MARCHED to their new reservation, which was ALWAYS on land that was not as good as the land they came from. Many Native Americans died on these trails, such as the one called, “Trail Of Tears.” There are not supposed to be ANY Native Americans left.

I used to live in Iowa, and the county I lived in built a jail big enough to house other counties’ prisoners, figuring they would make money that way. A short time later, a casino was built on a Native American reservation nearby, and not long after that, the new jail was full of our own county’s prisoners. Casinos and other forms of legal gambling bring crime. When addicted gamblers lose all of their money, too many of them resort to stealing to feed their habit. Gambling establishments of any kind also bring the prostitutes.

JOHN DICKEY

Smelterville